S2 E6: A Shot in the Dark

FromDirect Current - An Energy.gov Podcast

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S2 E6: A Shot in the Dark

FromDirect Current - An Energy.gov Podcast

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Length:

26 minutes

Released:

Sep 13, 2017

Format:

Podcast episode

Released:

Sep 13, 2017

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (41)

Direct Current is a podcast about energy -- the kind that lights our homes, powers our lives and shapes our world. From the U.S. Department of Energy’s digital team in Washington, D.C., Direct Current brings you fresh, insightful stories of how we generate and use electricity, what that means for the planet and the cutting-edge science that’s driving a global energy revolution.

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Episode 3: Power To The People: How does power get to the people who use it? We explore that question and talk about the electric grid -- what it is, how it works, and what happens when the power goes out. by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
20 min listen
SHORT CIRCUIT | Solar, Meet Eclipse: Solar power is booming in the U.S. So what happens when the sun disappears during the total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017? We talk to the energy experts. by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
10 min listen
Episode 1: Tackling the Hidden Costs of Rooftop Solar: We investigate the sneaky "soft costs" driving up the price of rooftop solar, delve into the archives for a look at the turbulent times around the Energy Department's creation, and contemplate some alternatives to the name "Direct Curr by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
25 min listen
Episode 2: The Clean Energy Geek Squad: We call a "help desk" that provides clean energy policy assistance to governments worldwide, talk to Nicky Phear, who cycles across Montana teaching students about climate change, and propose a few new units of energy -- starting with a burrito. by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
31 min listen
S2 E5: Hyper Drive Time: And now, for something completely different… Take a drive with Direct Current as we mash up three slightly off-kilter energy stories. It might get weird, but it won’t be boring. It’s Hyper Drive Time! by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
19 min listen
S2 E1: The Hype Trailer: Direct Current returns next week! LISTEN TO OUR NEW TRAILER to get a little taste of what's in store for season 2. We also want to say a quick thank you to everyone who listened to the first season; we really appreciate your support and your enthusia by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
4 min listen
Episode 6: Energy Ghostbusters: Spooked by the goblins of energy inefficiency? In this episode, we talk with Josh Olsen, an “Energy Ghostbuster" from our Weatherization Program. Learn how to keep from being haunted by your energy bill and trick-or-treat yourself to energy savings by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
12 min listen
Episode 1.5: Direct Current Teaser: A word of thanks, and a sneak preview of what’s coming up on future episodes of Direct Current. by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
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Episode 5: The Future of Cool: Paul and Simon lead the way to the future of cooling, where new technologies like magnet-based air conditioning and personalized robots will transform how we fight climate change, save on energy costs and stay comfortable. by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
30 min listen
Episode 10: The Exit Interview: With the current presidential administration coming to a close, we asked a very special guest to share some thoughts on his time here at the Energy Department. It’s our boss, nuclear physicist and Secretary of Energy, Dr. Ernest Moniz. by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
24 min listen
Episode 7: From Water to Wattage: Hydropower is America's oldest and largest source of clean, renewable energy. But can it grow to meet our changing needs? Follow our hosts on a journey from hydropower's origins to the new wave of technologies that could shape its future. by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
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S2 E4: 17 Labs in 17 Minutes: The Department of Energy’s National Labs are the crown jewels of science in America. But their work is so diverse that it’s hard to cover all 17 of them in one podcast episode. So naturally, Direct Current took on that challenge. by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
23 min listen
Episode 4: Backronyms: Not all acronyms are created equal. Join us on a journey into the colorful world of government "backronyms," where there's more to a name than just a jumble of letters. by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
22 min listen
Episode 8: Ho-Ho-How Holiday Lights Work: Why do holiday lights burn out all the time? We find out the answer, and do it in rhyme. by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
5 min listen
Episode 9: What Happened to Acid Rain?: Acid rain was one of the biggest environmental problems of the 20th century. We investigate why it’s a thing of the past -- and what it can teach us for tackling climate change. by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
23 min listen
SHORT CIRCUIT | How to Soak Up an Oil Spill: It's been seven years since the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Could a sponge developed by Argonne National Lab help stop the next big oil spill from becoming a catastrophe? by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
12 min listen
SHORT CIRCUIT | Energy @ 40: Energy is 40 and we're celebrating with a look back at four decades of #ScienceForThePeople. We talk to the Department's longest-serving employee (53 years!), revisit the agency's origins, and look to the future with the help of our officia by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
18 min listen
S2 E3: The Manhattan Project, Part 2: The conclusion to our two part series on the Manhattan Project -- an unprecedented, U.S. government effort to beat Nazi Germany in the race to construct a nuclear weapon, the dawn of the atomic age, and how that legacy is being preserved. by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
36 min listen
S2 E6: A Shot in the Dark: Earth, the cosmos, everything we can see with our eyes and our instruments is made up of normal matter. But all that doesn’t add up to a whole lot. It's just 15% of the mass of the universe. The rest is an unknown, invisible… something… by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
26 min listen
S2 E7: Energy Secrets: From the real science behind the Upside Down in Netflix's "Stranger Things" to the mysterious death of a U.S. president, Direct Current is pulling back the curtain on some of our deepest, darkest #EnergySecrets. by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
27 min listen
SHORT CIRCUIT | Ruth's Story: Ruth Huddleston was 18 when she took a job at a secret Army facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, during World War II. It was so highly classified that no one could even tell her what she was working on. We have her story. by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
14 min listen
S2 E2: The Manhattan Project, Part 1: The first of two episodes that tell the story of an unprecedented, U.S. government effort to beat Nazi Germany in the race to construct a nuclear weapon, the dawn of the atomic age, and how that legacy is being preserved. by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
35 min listen
This Lab Is Your Lab: As we head into July 4, enjoy "This Lab Is Your Lab." A song meant to highlight some of the amazing work being done across the Energy Department's system of 17 National Labs, the crown jewels of science in the United States. by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
3 min listen
SHORT CIRCUIT | History of the Light Bulb: One of the most ubiquitous items in the world is an item you can probably see from wherever you’re listening… the light bulb. The story of how the light bulb came to light is a fascinating one that we think even a child could understand. by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
7 min listen
S2 E9: Power Couple: A pair of energy detectives is hunting down waste and saving money at two big U.S. manufacturing companies. Hear their story, and learn how our Better Plants program is helping partners across the nation find similar success. by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
19 min listen
S2 E8: Holiday Lights, Redux: We're keeping the season merry and bright with a show about data and holiday lights! by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
15 min listen
S3 E1: Sitting Down with Secretary Perry: You know Rick Perry as the current Secretary of Energy and former Texas governor, but did you know he once played drums with ZZ Top? On the Direct Current season 3 premiere, hear from Perry on everything from supercomputers to "Dancing with the Stars by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
24 min listen
S3 E7: DUNE: The Neutrinos Must Flow: Join Direct Current on a subatomic sojourn into the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), a massive international research project aiming to unlock the secrets of the neutrino and answer the question, "Why does anything exist?" by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
44 min listen
S3 E2: Makers: This episode of Direct Current is dedicated to the makers at the Energy Department — the engineers, researchers and artisans whose creations are pushing science and technology to exciting new places. by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
29 min listen
S3 E6: Women in Power: The C3E Story: Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast talks to the women who are leading a clean energy revolution, with a little help from C3E. It's part support network, part annual gathering, part awards show — and all about empowerment. by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
25 min listen

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S3 E8: KRUSTY in Spaaace!: 50 years after Apollo 11 made history, NASA is getting ready to send astronauts back to the Moon, then on to Mars. We're going to need a power supply that can keep humans alive in space for years at a time. Could a miniature nuclear reactor be the an by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
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S3 E6: Women in Power: The C3E Story: Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast talks to the women who are leading a clean energy revolution, with a little help from C3E. It's part support network, part annual gathering, part awards show — and all about empowerment. by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
25 min listen
S3 E5: Microbiomes! Live at AAAS: There's an invisible world of microbes living all around us that we're only just beginning to understand. We talked to two DOE scientists at the 2019 AAAS Meeting in D.C. to learn how genetic research could answer big questions about these tiny by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
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S3 E1: Sitting Down with Secretary Perry: You know Rick Perry as the current Secretary of Energy and former Texas governor, but did you know he once played drums with ZZ Top? On the Direct Current season 3 premiere, hear from Perry on everything from supercomputers to "Dancing with the Stars by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
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SHORT CIRCUIT | History of the Light Bulb: One of the most ubiquitous items in the world is an item you can probably see from wherever you’re listening… the light bulb. The story of how the light bulb came to light is a fascinating one that we think even a child could understand. by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
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27 min listen
SHORT CIRCUIT | Energy @ 40: Energy is 40 and we're celebrating with a look back at four decades of #ScienceForThePeople. We talk to the Department's longest-serving employee (53 years!), revisit the agency's origins, and look to the future with the help of our officia by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
18 min listen
SHORT CIRCUIT | Solar, Meet Eclipse: Solar power is booming in the U.S. So what happens when the sun disappears during the total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017? We talk to the energy experts. by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
10 min listen
S2 E5: Hyper Drive Time: And now, for something completely different… Take a drive with Direct Current as we mash up three slightly off-kilter energy stories. It might get weird, but it won’t be boring. It’s Hyper Drive Time! by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
19 min listen
S2 E4: 17 Labs in 17 Minutes: The Department of Energy’s National Labs are the crown jewels of science in America. But their work is so diverse that it’s hard to cover all 17 of them in one podcast episode. So naturally, Direct Current took on that challenge. by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
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This Lab Is Your Lab: As we head into July 4, enjoy "This Lab Is Your Lab." A song meant to highlight some of the amazing work being done across the Energy Department's system of 17 National Labs, the crown jewels of science in the United States. by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
3 min listen
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36 min listen
SHORT CIRCUIT | Ruth's Story: Ruth Huddleston was 18 when she took a job at a secret Army facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, during World War II. It was so highly classified that no one could even tell her what she was working on. We have her story. by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
14 min listen
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35 min listen
SHORT CIRCUIT | How to Soak Up an Oil Spill: It's been seven years since the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Could a sponge developed by Argonne National Lab help stop the next big oil spill from becoming a catastrophe? by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
12 min listen
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4 min listen
Episode 10: The Exit Interview: With the current presidential administration coming to a close, we asked a very special guest to share some thoughts on his time here at the Energy Department. It’s our boss, nuclear physicist and Secretary of Energy, Dr. Ernest Moniz. by Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
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S2 E6: A Shot in the Dark

S2 E6: A Shot in the Dark

Titles in the series (41)

More Episodes from Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast