In order for uranium 235 to split it needs an activation, which is typically a neutron.
You don’t have a lot of free floating neutrons just flying around. When uranium 235 splits it releases 2-3 neutrons that can go on to impact other uranium-235 atoms, however the chances of a neutron hitting a nuclei is extremely low, they are very small. For criticality, that meaning a sustained nuclear reaction to happen, you need lots of uranium-235 very closely together so that on average at least 1 of those neutrons from a uranium-235 decay hits another uranium nuclei. That only happens in bombs and nuclear reactors.
There’s also tons of oil and natural gas deposits all over, and they would love to burn and explode to release all that energy, but just like uranium, you need to give it a push to start that reaction.
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