What if it works?

Asegun Henry, an innovator and professor at MIT, says that energy storage is arguably the single most important technological problem we have to solve. He is developing and commercializing a new type of battery based on thermal energy conversion instead of the conventional electro-chemical reaction—a battery that’s been dubbed, “sun in a box.” He shares what it takes for a new technology to compete in today’s market and how his technology might be the gamechanger we need to decarbonize the power grid. What if it works? is a production of the MIT Energy Initiative. This episode was hosted by Rob Stoner and Kara Miller.   Transcript and show notes at energy.mit.edu/podcasts

We rely on our energy systems to allow us to do work, travel, process information, and support all sorts of economic activity. MIT Professor Jessika Trancik helps us zoom out for a big picture view of how energy systems are shaped and where there is opportunity to innovate. What if it works? is a production of the MIT Energy Initiative. This episode was hosted by Rob Stoner and Kara Miller.   Transcript and show notes at energy.mit.edu/podcasts

MIT professor and entrepreneur Ariel Furst is used to people underestimating what biology can do. But she is proving that DNA and microbes can help us decarbonize energy: DNA can be harnessed to transform carbon into useful products and in her words, “microbes are the coolest,”—they can be engineered for use in all kinds of recycling. Furst shares how sometimes the simple (and even microscopic) solutions can have big results. What if it works? is a production of the MIT Energy Initiative. This episode was hosted by Rob Stoner and Kara Miller.   Transcript and show notes at energy.mit.edu/podcasts

As an economist, Namrata Kala has considered how incentivization can alter human behavior and help policies succeed. She leverages this expertise to help us examine how the world's most populous country, India, is thinking about clean energy and the implications of electrification on its energy demand. She also explores how economics, as well as U.S. policy shifts, might affect their trajectory. What if it works? is a production of the MIT Energy Initiative. This episode was hosted by Rob Stoner and Kara Miller.   Transcript and show notes at energy.mit.edu/podcasts

As a clean energy source, hydrogen has shown to have a lot of potential. But when generated using fossil fuels, hydrogen production can have a large environmental impact—even if the energy source itself doesn’t generate emissions. So, what if we can get readily available hydrogen from the ground instead? Brad Hager, a professor of earth, atmospheric, and planetary sciences at MIT, explores the potential of geologic hydrogen, looks at some of the possible pitfalls, and asks what it might take to get more companies invested in it. What if it works? is a production of the MIT Energy Initiative. This episode was hosted by Rob Stoner and Kara Miller.   Transcript and show notes at energy.mit.edu/podcasts