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Interesting thought experiment that came up during dinner: How would things be different if alcohol wasn't miscible with water?
Mixology would be a lot more difficult. You'd need to start with making an emulsion -- lots of eggnogy drinks.
We would have had hard alcohol available since the neolithic. Which means access to a really good solvent and disinfectant.
There would be more whales around right now, as there never would have been a demand for whale oil.
Ethanol as a fuel would be a lot more practical, without the energy needed to distill the damned stuff. The entire 20th century would be radically different with far fewer petro-dollars distorting things.
Are we missing anything?
Mixology would be a lot more difficult. You'd need to start with making an emulsion -- lots of eggnogy drinks.
We would have had hard alcohol available since the neolithic. Which means access to a really good solvent and disinfectant.
There would be more whales around right now, as there never would have been a demand for whale oil.
Ethanol as a fuel would be a lot more practical, without the energy needed to distill the damned stuff. The entire 20th century would be radically different with far fewer petro-dollars distorting things.
Are we missing anything?