A lithium battery powers most of our favorite devices— a charge every twenty-four hours for typical usage suffices. Billions of tiny transistors enable these wonders of science: video calls between sisters, virtual briefings with clients, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connections, a camera for taking a photo, GPS-guided directions in Kentucky, Kyiv, or Kyoto, apps that are snappy and nifty, a podcast for every headphone, a live-stream for every Swiftie (as long as they’re not in a dead zone). Diversio...