Inflection Points

An inflection is an event in which something goes from behaving one way to behaving opposite. The inflection point is the exact moment when this happens. An example from chemistry is the moment a substance goes from resisting combustion to when combustion becomes self sustained. A stick of dynamite will resist heat and shock to a certain point, beyond which it explodes. A piece of paper will resist heat up to a point when it suddenly starts burning. Everywhere in chemistry, there's a push needed in order to start a reaction.

Carbon and hydrogen combining to produce methane

There is an energy hill that has to be overcome in order to set off chemical reactions. The inflection point, where resistance to change is overcome is at the peak of this hill.

Energy hill

This tendency to resist change is not confined to chemistry. It's universal. It's even part of human nature. Our first reaction to most suggestions is to say no. Only after a bit of persuasion and thought on our part are we willing to act. At that point we may turn quite enthusiastic, or we may remain reluctant, depending on whether we feel that we gain or lose on the suggested activity.

History is full of these kinds of events when inactivity suddenly turn to activity. We have revolutions, panics, wars and so on. Things may seem calm and orderly. There can be a sense of endless tolerance and acceptance. But then, all of a sudden, things flip.

In this respect, I expect something dramatic to happen fairly soon. The dollar will collapse from constant fiscal abuse. Suddenly, there will be very little demand for dollars. People will want to use something else in trade. While buying a house today is done exclusively in fiat currency, it will be done regularly in gold in the future. What would today be seen as eccentric to the extreme will be common place and often preferred in the future.

Farther afield, there's the hypothesis that the red spot on Jupiter is a moon in the making. At some point, it will be ejected as a hot ball of minerals. The inflection point will be when the storm becomes so tall that electrostatic forces between the storm and the planet go from being attractive to repulsive. Once detached from Jupiter's atmosphere, the newly formed moon will race out and away to find an orbit among the other moons of Jupiter.

Jupiter ejecting a moon