Monkey Games

Why do we heat water by lighting a fire beneath the pot? Why not heat it from the surface? This is actually a fascinating bit of physics. If you heat the surface of the water with a flame, some of the water near the top will indeed warm up quickly. But hot water is less dense than cold water, so it stays at the top. The cold water below cannot rise to absorb the heat, and can only gain a little warmth from the heat seeping down from above. Once the hot water at the top absorbs enough heat, it turns to steam and escapes from the pot, while the water below remains cold. Faced with capital towering above them, where can those at the bottom turn?

This novel and its characters are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to actual people or events is purely coincidental. Do not imitate.