Unique to copper is its long mean free path, around 100 atomic spacings at room temperature. This efficiency is what makes the transmission of  electrical signals possible. In 1913 the level of conductivity of copper became the measure by which the  conduction of all metals is compared. Williams Sturgeon proved the conductivity of copper with his Electromagnet of 1824, yet its ability to conduct wealth and empire came with the boom in the copper market, after Michael Faraday created his electrical dynamo in 1831 with its promise of multi-faceted unlimited power. 80% of the copper ever mined is still in circulation, channeling our thoughts and transactions around the earth.