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​Imagine a world that is millions of years old. What do we see? Just ancient humans and animals, right? These ancient humans, also our ancestors, have been known to carry various tools. Tools that could slice, slab, and scrape. Tools for hunting and gathering activities, for fending themselves against unknown threats. Initially, these tools were just carved stones. Now lets visualize the present day tools used for similar activities. What are they made of? As we can easily make out that they are mostly made of metals or their alloys, with some use of wood for handles etc. As humans lived through the years, they faced bigger threats. They encountered many scary and powerful animals and beasts. Nothing striked more fear into the hearts and minds of the people than a single sighting of these beasts. Animals like bears, lions and tigers that could strike and kill at will in a matter of a few seconds. It was as scary then as it sounds today. The tools of those times provided very minimal protection in such situations. But nature had other plans for mankind. Nature had protected humans with a unique gift, a gift more powerful than anything else. Humans had Cognitive Abilities - faculties that make it possible for us to think, explore, discover and to invent. (Cognition- Generic term embracing the mental activities associated with thinking, learning, and memory. Any process whereby one acquires knowledge) Now lets visualize the present day tools used for similar activities. What are they made of? As we can easily make out that they are mostly made of metals or their alloys, with some use of wood for handles etc. ​ As humans lived through the years, they faced bigger threats. They encountered many scary and powerful animals and beasts. Nothing striked more fear into the hearts and minds of the people than a single sighting of these beasts. Animals like bears, lions and tigers that could strike and kill at will in a matter of a few seconds. It was as scary then as it sounds today. The tools of those times provided very minimal protection in such situations. But nature had other plans for mankind. Nature had protected humans with a unique gift, a gift more powerful than anything else. Humans had Cognitive Abilities - faculties that make it possible for us to think, explore, discover and to invent. (Cognition- Generic term embracing the mental activities associated with thinking, learning, and memory. Any process whereby one acquires knowledge) Read more

The story of hot metal and cold Steel is fascinating from start to finish, especially when viewed with childlike innocence and intrigue. Most of the time, the story of Steelmaking begins with a BLAST! As the rock explodes and the raw materials are tossed from the Earth, we can see the onset of Steel in making, in the form of crude Iron ore. ​ The next step in making Steel involves grinding the rock and separating the ore with powerful magnets. The ore then obtained is converted into small-sized pellets and mixed with coke and limestone. The mixture is then sealed in airtight vessels and pushed into a big oven called the Blast Furnace for 12 to 16 hours. There a continuous blast of heated air is combusted to change the raw materials into molten Iron. ​ It's astonishing to consider that a blast furnace operates at temperatures nearing 2700 degrees Celsius. This means that anything living could be incinerated to ashes in a blast furnace in mere milliseconds! Awestruck!" ​ Next, the molten Iron is then transferred to workshops where oxygen is sprayed on it at supersonic speed. So what does it result in? Molten Steel and fascinating SPARKS ! BLISS ! ​ This molten Steel is then ready to be made into custom blends, such as the various types and qualities of Steel. ​ It's interesting to note further that while Steel is made in factories for large scale productions, Steel can also be made at home on a very small scale. Just for a science experiment, read along to know how you can make Steel using ingredients from your backyard. Read more

Let us rewind the Steel-making process on a large scale. It all begins with a BLAST, but you could do with the already existing broken Iron ore-rich rocks which are maybe just available near to your house, or your next hiking spot. The rich Iron ore rock that you find could be shiny white or red. ​ Pro tip: You can check if the rock you have chosen is right by attracting it to a magnet, the magnetite present in the rocks attract magnets. ​ Collect some amount of Iron-rich rock and separate the rock from the dust. Wet the dust with water and separate the dust from the chunks of Iron-rich rocks at the bottom of the vessel. Next, we will need some Carbon so that the Iron oxide can easily give away the oxygen. We can use Coal for Carbon. Coal is very easily available. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements; chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. ​ Now, with bare hands, we create a mixture of powdered Coal, powdered Limestone, and a little soda ash. You are just one step away from producing Steel at a smaller scale, all we need is an electric furnace. Mix and set the furnace with the Iron ore you collected from the rocks and the mixture of Coal and limestone. As the fire burns and sparks around, you can feel the shiny metal Steel in your backyard. Thrilled ! Read more