ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Timeline of alcohol fuel

Okay kiddo, let me tell you the story of alcohol fuel.
Once upon a time, long long ago, people didn't have cars or airplanes like we have now. But they did have horses and carts, and they had to find a way to make these horses go faster so they could get places faster.
One day, someone discovered that if you put a liquid called alcohol into a horse's feeding bag, the horse would get more energy and be able to run faster.
People thought, "Hmm, if it works for horses, maybe it will work for our machines too." So they started experimenting and discovered that alcohol could be used as a fuel for cars and airplanes.
At first, they used alcohol made from corn or sugar, but then they realized that they could make alcohol from other things too, like potatoes or even waste products from factories.
However, there were some problems with using alcohol as a fuel. For one, it was more expensive than gasoline, which was already being widely used.
Another problem was that alcohol is more corrosive to engines than gasoline, which could damage the engines over time.
But people kept working on improving the technology and finding ways to make alcohol fuel cheaper and more efficient. And in some countries, like Brazil, they even started using alcohol fuel made from sugarcane as a way to reduce their dependence on foreign oil.
So even though it's not as popular as gasoline, alcohol fuel still plays a part in our world today - and who knows, maybe one day it will be the fuel of choice for everyone!
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