Plot: From chariot wheels of ancient Egypt to hard disks in a computer to the wheels on a Mars rover, machinery can’t function without lubricants. And in today’s technology, there are a mind-boggling number of friction points that must be lubed, and a staggering number of lubricants– petroleum motor oils that keep car engines from burning up, synthetic greases that stay put in the zero gravity of space, and solid coatings that prevent eggs from sticking to a pan