Solar geoengineering is a hot (er, cool?) topic these days. One method involves injecting a form of sulfur into the atmosphere to reflect solar radiation and help reduce global temperatures. But it could also cause unpredictable changes to ozone, rainfall, and ecosystems. So when a rogue startup began sending balloons of sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere ea ... Show More
Oct 29
The new landscape for gas turbines
Data center developers are facing unprecedented roadblocks to power new facilities. In addition to being hampered by an enormous interconnection queue backlog, the major gas turbine suppliers — GE Vernova, Mitsubishi, and Siemens — are completely sold out past 2030. As a result, ... Show More
31m 56s
Oct 27
The battery boom behind the AI buildout [partner content]
The AI buildout is the most capital-intensive project in history. The hunger for power has pushed companies to unconventional options, sparking demand for jet engines, mobile trailer-mounted generators, and hybrid microgrids. And now batteries are having a moment. The urgency to ... Show More
29m 52s
Oct 2018
How to cool the planet with a fake volcano
When volcanoes erupt, they spray particles into the atmosphere that cool the planet for a bit. As we get closer and closer to truly catastrophic global warming, more and more scientists are wondering whether a similar approach, called solar geoengineering, could be necessary. If ... Show More
22m 58s
Mar 2023
Block the sun, save the earth?
Solar geoengineering — the idea of cooling the planet by deflecting the sun’s rays — is so risky that scientists and policy experts can’t even agree on whether to research it.
This episode was produced by Avishay Artsy, edited by Matt Collette and Amina Al-Sadi, fact-checked by L ... Show More
26m 6s
Sep 2020
#32: Billionaire plan to geoengineer the planet; how the moon affects your health; Neuralink’s telepathic pigs
If we’re not going to make the effort to cut carbon emissions, why don’t we manipulate Earth’s climate, forcing it to cool down? Obviously that’s not ideal - but geoengineering, one the most controversial proposals to combat climate change, is back in the spotlight this week.
In ... Show More
34m 3s
Apr 2024
An Engineering Experiment to Cool the Earth
<p>Decades of efforts to cut carbon emissions have failed to significantly slow the rate of global warming, so scientists are now turning to bolder approaches.</p><p>Christopher Flavelle, who writes about climate change for The Times, discusses efforts to engineer our way out of ... Show More
28m 4s