&gt; Asking why science happened mostly over here, but not over there, seems pointlessly akin to asking, why did the column of effervescence start in this spot on the champagne glass, and not this other spot over here.<p>But that question is both interesting and significant. See <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Nucleation" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Nucleation</a> for the phenomenon, and <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Superheating" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Superheating</a> for an immediate consequence. In the other direction, and with less physically threatening consequences, we get <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Supercooling" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;en.wikipedia.org&#x2F;wiki&#x2F;Supercooling</a>