Energy Policy

Energy Policy

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A series of solar sail spacecraft harvest solar power at night, floating above Earth's atmosphere with the sun shining in the background.
Starts With A Bang
The true cost of “solar power at night” with Reflect Orbital
Solar power has the disadvantage that there's no Sun at night. Satellite startup Reflect Orbital wants to change that, but at what cost?
Ethan Siegel
Book cover of "The Story of CO2 Is the Story of Everything" by Peter Brannen, featuring themes like fire and human evolution, alongside the text “an excerpt from” on a light blue background.
Books
How taming fire made us human
In this excerpt from "The Story of CO2," Peter Brennan explains how changes in the Earth's ecosystem led to fire, which in turn led our ancestors to become the "fire apes."
Peter Brannen
A 3D potential energy surface with a central peak and surrounding valley illustrates zero-point energy power; two blue spheres indicate positions atop the peak and within the valley. Axes labeled Re(φ), Im(φ), and V(φ).
Starts With A Bang
Ask Ethan: Can “zero-point energy” power the world?
Throughout history, "free energy" has been a scammer's game, such as perpetual motion. But with zero-point energy, is it actually possible?
Three white smokestacks emit thick, swirling clouds of orange and white smoke against a black background, hinting at the dramatic effect of going nuclear.
Books
“Going Nuclear” makes the case for an atomic renaissance
Nuclear chemist Tim Gregory joins Big Think to make the case that nuclear energy can still transform the world for the better.
Ross Pomeroy
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