Tag: Wally Rippel

A colleague asks for my viewpoint on low-energy nuclear reactions (LENR, aka cold fusion). I wrote: It’s funny you ask, as my belief has changed over the last few years.  If you will read the short chapter on the subject …

Is Cold Fusion Real? Read More »

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A young reader asks me about building a car powered by nothing but sunlight. I happen to be very friendly with the first guy on the West Coast of the U.S. (Wally Rippel) to do exactly that, at least at …

Solar-Powered Vehicles Read More »

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It is the birthday of Michael Faraday, whose discovery of the relationship between electricity and magnetism in the 1830s remains to this day one of the most important contributions to the well-being of humankind. By coincidence, I’m having lunch tomorrow …

On Michael Faraday and Wally Rippel Read More »

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I’m so glad I took advantage of today’s opportunity to interview Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, Nobel Prize winning climate scientist and chairman of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change).  At several points in the conversation, I was reminded of my discussions …

Speaking with Dr. Rajendra Pachauri on Climate Change and Renewable Energy Read More »

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Perhaps the greatest single threat facing mankind today is our failure to apply reason to effect solutions. In fact, we appear to openly defy and ridicule the findings of our scientific community, writing them off as so many liars and …

Energy Policy Should Be Based on Reason Read More »

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Rogelio writes: I think that anybody contemplating a career in clean energy has always to take a look at the engineering and scientific aspects of the field to find a very demanding and yet rewarding career, why because we live …

Does Our Society Value Its Scientists? Read More »

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It’s the birthday of Alexander Graham Bell, whose telephone came as the accidental consequence of his interest in developing a tool that might teach deaf people how to speak. To me, it’s another reminder that accidental discoveries are extremely common. …

Clean Energy Technology Is Developed in Mysterious Ways Read More »

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Wally’s list of accomplishments in science and technology spans half a century; in fact, he is best known for two achievements separated by almost 40 years: In 1968, he built the Caltech electric car and won the Great Transcontinental Electric …

Thanks to Wally Rippel For His Contribution to “Is Renewable Really Doable?” Read More »

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I’m in the television studio this afternoon, shooting a series of short videos explaining the basics of renewable energy, for use in introducing newcomers to the subject. If there is a theme to the series, it’s “No Free Lunch.” Each …

Renewable Energy Offers Advantages, But No Free Lunch Read More »

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It’s the birthday of Isaac Newton, whose book “Principia” overturned nearly everything humankind had believed about the universe up to that point (1686). I bring this up to note that perhaps we should not be so smug about “the laws …

Energy Business Ideas that Violate the Laws of Physics Read More »

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