We're incredibly lucky that copper and silicon are so (relatively) easy to work with.
Imagine if even basic electrical systems needed wires made of rhodium and semiconductors only worked at cryogenic temperatures. We'd never have gotten over the "technological activation energy" in the 1800s.
Imagine if even basic electrical systems needed wires made of rhodium and semiconductors only worked at cryogenic temperatures. We'd never have gotten over the "technological activation energy" in the 1800s.