

It basically needs critical mass.
The monsters were humans trying to engineer with thr molecule, that sample of protomolecule was not bound to become the ring.
On Eros, it was let loose specifically so that it could get enough mass to do what it was going to do. Think of it like a transistor- a few transistors can get you a NAND gate, but a LOT of them can give you a processor.
Once it had the critical mass and went to Venus, it was big enough that it could assimilate whatever it wanted into itself and gain the necessary mass to form the ring.
It started off as being aware of systemic social issues, for example how racism isnt just “well gee I dont like black folks”, but is ingrained in society in all kinds of ways - for example, if you’re black you’re more likely to be pulled over while driving, stuff like that. Conservatives didn’t like or understand that because they thought “I have nothing against black folk so I can’t be racist!” While not understanding that it goes deeper than that.
Then it turned into woke means anything that conservatives dont like. Many of them can’t define it beyond that.