Rank #154 in Government category
Government
Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
Updated 2 months ago
Rank #154 in Government category
Government
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.
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.
iTunes Ratings
94 Ratingsall
By Beaver Pond Ben - Mar 01 2018Not what you might expect!
Great info!
By justLuckey1 - Jul 27 2017Great content, great hosts, my new favorite podcast!
iTunes Ratings
94 Ratingsall
By Beaver Pond Ben - Mar 01 2018Not what you might expect!
Great info!
By justLuckey1 - Jul 27 2017Great content, great hosts, my new favorite podcast!
Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast
Latest release on Jul 30, 2020
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.
Rank #1: S3 E6: Women in Power: The C3E Story
Meet 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.
Mar 20 2019
25mins
Play
Rank #2: S3 E8: KRUSTY in Spaaace!
50 years after Apollo 11 made history, NASA is getting ready to send astronauts back to the Moon. After that, Mars is next up. We're going to need a power supply that can keep humans alive in space for years at a time — but it's got to be small, light, and tough as nails. Could a miniature nuclear reactor be the answer? This is a story about perseverance, teamwork, and faith in an idea against all odds. Don't be fooled by the name — these folks aren't clowning around.
Jul 16 2019
23mins
Play
Rank #3: S3 E7: DUNE: The Neutrinos Must Flow
Here's a question. Why does anything exist? The key to this age-old mystery could lie with neutrinos, elusive particles that flow all around us and (through us) by the trillions. 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 with help from more than 175 institutions in over 30 countries. We'll take you from Fermilab to the home of the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland to the bottom of a former gold mine a mile beneath the hills of South Dakota as we explore one of the most ambitious particle physics projects of our lifetime.
May 07 2019
44mins
Play
Rank #4: S3 E5: Microbiomes! Live at AAAS
There's an invisible world of microbes living all around us — on our skin, in our guts, even in the ground beneath our feet — and we're only just beginning to understand their function. In this episode, recorded live at the 2019 American Association for Advancement of Sciences (AAAS) Meeting in D.C., we interview two scientists who are using genetic data to study the "microbiome" of soil. Turns out, these tiny organisms can help us answer big questions about agriculture, energy, climate, and much more.
Mar 01 2019
26mins
Play
Rank #5: S3 E4: This Episode Stinks
Grease. Gunk. Sludge. Where most people see a nasty nuisance, these scientists see powerful potential. Join us as we wade into the world of bioenergy and learn about the folks working to turn waste into useful energy!
Nov 21 2018
35mins
Play
Rank #6: S3 E3: Nuclear Energy: Fact, Fiction, Future
D'oh! Nuclear energy gets a bad rap on "The Simpsons". But don't believe everything you see on TV — there's a lot more to the story of our most misunderstood energy source. In this episode of Direct Current, we separate nuclear fact from fiction and explore how splitting atoms could play a big role in America's clean energy future.
Learn more at energy.gov/podcast.
Learn more at energy.gov/podcast.
Sep 13 2018
38mins
Play
Rank #7: 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. Check out photos, video and more from this episode at energy.gov/podcast.
Jul 31 2018
28mins
Play
Rank #8: 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? Hear from Perry himself in the season 3 premiere of Direct Current as he sits down with our hosts to discuss everything from supercomputers to "Dancing with the Stars."
Also, we bid a fond farewell to one of our show's original producers.
[Editor's Note: This interview was recorded shortly before the unveiling of the Summit supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which as of June 2018 claimed the title of fastest supercomputer in the world.]
Also, we bid a fond farewell to one of our show's original producers.
[Editor's Note: This interview was recorded shortly before the unveiling of the Summit supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which as of June 2018 claimed the title of fastest supercomputer in the world.]
Jun 20 2018
23mins
Play
Rank #9: 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.
Feb 05 2018
18mins
Play
Rank #10: S2 E8: Holiday Lights, Redux
We're keeping the season merry and bright with a show about data and holiday lights!
Ever thought about how big a role data centers play in your life? From searching to streaming to shopping, these critical pieces of infrastructure provide the foundation for our digital world -- and they need an upgrade. Learn how an ARPA-E program is using light-powered technology to boost data center performance and energy efficiency for the future.
Also, we revisit our favorite energy-themed holiday poem from season 1! As always, you can find all our episodes at https://energy.gov/podcast.
Ever thought about how big a role data centers play in your life? From searching to streaming to shopping, these critical pieces of infrastructure provide the foundation for our digital world -- and they need an upgrade. Learn how an ARPA-E program is using light-powered technology to boost data center performance and energy efficiency for the future.
Also, we revisit our favorite energy-themed holiday poem from season 1! As always, you can find all our episodes at https://energy.gov/podcast.
Dec 19 2017
15mins
Play
Rank #11: SHORT CIRCUIT | History of the Light Bulb
We devote this Short Circuit to one of the most ubiquitous items in the world, 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. The History of The Light Bulb is an illuminating tale of a mother, child and some particularly enlightened bulbs.
Nov 14 2017
7mins
Play
Rank #12: S2 E7: Energy Secrets
Last year, Netflix's sci-fi hit "Stranger Things" called us out on being... well... a secretive agency. We set the record straight back then, but with season 2 coming out, there's more to the story.
So, prepare yourself: from the real science behind the Upside Down to the mysterious death of a U.S. president, Direct Current is pulling back the curtain on some of our deepest, darkest #EnergySecrets.
So, prepare yourself: from the real science behind the Upside Down to the mysterious death of a U.S. president, Direct Current is pulling back the curtain on some of our deepest, darkest #EnergySecrets.
Oct 27 2017
26mins
Play
Rank #13: SHORT CIRCUIT | Energy @ 40
The U.S. Department of Energy is 40 years old, and Direct Current is celebrating with a look back at four decades of #ScienceForThePeople. Join us as 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 official historians.
Oct 04 2017
17mins
Play
Rank #14: 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… This mysterious substance lives under the alias of DARK MATTER.
It’s one of the most staggering scientific puzzles in the history of human knowledge. A mystery that goes back to the very birth of our universe. Luckily, our detective-producers are on the case.
Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast proudly presents… A Shot in the Dark: The Case of the Missing Matter.
The rest is an unknown, invisible… something… This mysterious substance lives under the alias of DARK MATTER.
It’s one of the most staggering scientific puzzles in the history of human knowledge. A mystery that goes back to the very birth of our universe. Luckily, our detective-producers are on the case.
Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast proudly presents… A Shot in the Dark: The Case of the Missing Matter.
Sep 13 2017
26mins
Play
Rank #15: 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.
Aug 17 2017
9mins
Play
Mars 2020, Part 2: SuperCam Does It All
It zaps. It snaps. It scans. It even dusts! SuperCam is the NASA Mars Perseverance Rover’s multitalented “Swiss Army Knife” of planetary science. In this episode, we hear from the Los Alamos National Laboratory team behind SuperCam about what it’s like to shoot lasers at rocks on Mars — and how it could help us find hard evidence of ancient extraterrestrial life on the Red Planet.
Jul 30 2020
22mins
Play
Mars 2020, Part 1: Powered by Plutonium
NASA's Mars Perseverance Rover is loaded with technology developed by the Department of Energy and our National Labs, including a nuclear battery fueled by plutonium-238. In this episode, Direct Current follows the rover’s power source on its incredible seven-year, 5,000-mile journey from the lab to the launch pad.
Jul 24 2020
32mins
Play
AI: Safer, Smarter, More Secure (Live at AAAS)
Artificial intelligence is all around us — even if we don’t realize it. Whether it’s in a self-driving car, a food delivery app, or our nation’s electrical grid, the rapid spread of AI and machine learning raises some big questions about security. How do we make sure AI-controlled systems are working as intended? And how do we protect vulnerable technologies from outside interference? Our guests from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory are working hard to answer those questions — and to get more scientists, engineers and tech leaders to start asking them.
Apr 22 2020
23mins
Play
The Future of Water & Wildfire (Live at AAAS)
Human health is at the top of all of our minds these days, with COVID-19 posing an unprecedented global challenge. One of the things that has a major impact on our health — and our security, the environment, agriculture, energy, transportation, you name it — is water. Water is one of our most precious resources, yet even small environmental changes can have massive consequences. In this episode, find out how the Department of Energy’s National Labs are using everything at their disposal — from supercomputers to sifting through the ashes of wildfires — to keep us one step ahead of our shifting water cycle and help us bounce back faster from natural disasters.
Mar 31 2020
25mins
Play
National Labs Respond to COVID-19
An interview with Dr. Chris Fall, Director of the Department of Energy Office of Science, about the agency’s response to COVID-19. Secretary Brouillette has tasked Dr. Fall with coordinating efforts across the Department and its 17 National Labs, where scientists are hard at work performing critical research to help us better understand the virus and limit its spread. Learn more at https://energy.gov/coronavirus.
Mar 14 2020
9mins
Play
Tribal Energy: Powering Self-Determination
For hundreds of Indian tribes and native communities across the United States, energy represents many things: a lifeline, a source of income, a path to sovereignty. No two tribes are alike, which is why the Department of Energy's Office of Indian Energy partners with tribal communities to develop energy projects that fit their specific needs. On this episode, learn how this small office delivers a big boost to tribes' efforts to take control of their energy destinies.
The music at the beginning and end of this episode is courtesy of the Library of Congress. The songs are from an LP titled "Indian Songs of Today" that was reissued by the American Folklife Center in 2016.
The music at the beginning and end of this episode is courtesy of the Library of Congress. The songs are from an LP titled "Indian Songs of Today" that was reissued by the American Folklife Center in 2016.
Dec 10 2019
38mins
Play
AI: This Is Just the Beginning
Artificial intelligence is all over the news, but what's all the hype really about? We travel to Oak Ridge National Lab in Tennessee to find out how AI is going to revolutionize science and energy, and welcome a new podcast to the Department of Energy family! When it comes to AI, this is just the beginning.
Subscribe to "The Sound of Science" for amazing stories from the cutting-edge research inside Oak Ridge. www.ornl.gov
Subscribe to "The Sound of Science" for amazing stories from the cutting-edge research inside Oak Ridge. www.ornl.gov
Oct 09 2019
22mins
Play
S3 E8: KRUSTY in Spaaace!
50 years after Apollo 11 made history, NASA is getting ready to send astronauts back to the Moon. After that, Mars is next up. We're going to need a power supply that can keep humans alive in space for years at a time — but it's got to be small, light, and tough as nails. Could a miniature nuclear reactor be the answer? This is a story about perseverance, teamwork, and faith in an idea against all odds. Don't be fooled by the name — these folks aren't clowning around.
Jul 16 2019
23mins
Play
S3 E7: DUNE: The Neutrinos Must Flow
Here's a question. Why does anything exist? The key to this age-old mystery could lie with neutrinos, elusive particles that flow all around us and (through us) by the trillions. 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 with help from more than 175 institutions in over 30 countries. We'll take you from Fermilab to the home of the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland to the bottom of a former gold mine a mile beneath the hills of South Dakota as we explore one of the most ambitious particle physics projects of our lifetime.
May 07 2019
44mins
Play
S3 E6: Women in Power: The C3E Story
Meet 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.
Mar 20 2019
25mins
Play
S3 E5: Microbiomes! Live at AAAS
There's an invisible world of microbes living all around us — on our skin, in our guts, even in the ground beneath our feet — and we're only just beginning to understand their function. In this episode, recorded live at the 2019 American Association for Advancement of Sciences (AAAS) Meeting in D.C., we interview two scientists who are using genetic data to study the "microbiome" of soil. Turns out, these tiny organisms can help us answer big questions about agriculture, energy, climate, and much more.
Mar 01 2019
26mins
Play
S3 E4: This Episode Stinks
Grease. Gunk. Sludge. Where most people see a nasty nuisance, these scientists see powerful potential. Join us as we wade into the world of bioenergy and learn about the folks working to turn waste into useful energy!
Nov 21 2018
35mins
Play
S3 E3: Nuclear Energy: Fact, Fiction, Future
D'oh! Nuclear energy gets a bad rap on "The Simpsons". But don't believe everything you see on TV — there's a lot more to the story of our most misunderstood energy source. In this episode of Direct Current, we separate nuclear fact from fiction and explore how splitting atoms could play a big role in America's clean energy future.
Learn more at energy.gov/podcast.
Learn more at energy.gov/podcast.
Sep 13 2018
38mins
Play
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. Check out photos, video and more from this episode at energy.gov/podcast.
Jul 31 2018
28mins
Play
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? Hear from Perry himself in the season 3 premiere of Direct Current as he sits down with our hosts to discuss everything from supercomputers to "Dancing with the Stars."
Also, we bid a fond farewell to one of our show's original producers.
[Editor's Note: This interview was recorded shortly before the unveiling of the Summit supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which as of June 2018 claimed the title of fastest supercomputer in the world.]
Also, we bid a fond farewell to one of our show's original producers.
[Editor's Note: This interview was recorded shortly before the unveiling of the Summit supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, which as of June 2018 claimed the title of fastest supercomputer in the world.]
Jun 20 2018
23mins
Play
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.
Feb 05 2018
18mins
Play
S2 E8: Holiday Lights, Redux
We're keeping the season merry and bright with a show about data and holiday lights!
Ever thought about how big a role data centers play in your life? From searching to streaming to shopping, these critical pieces of infrastructure provide the foundation for our digital world -- and they need an upgrade. Learn how an ARPA-E program is using light-powered technology to boost data center performance and energy efficiency for the future.
Also, we revisit our favorite energy-themed holiday poem from season 1! As always, you can find all our episodes at https://energy.gov/podcast.
Ever thought about how big a role data centers play in your life? From searching to streaming to shopping, these critical pieces of infrastructure provide the foundation for our digital world -- and they need an upgrade. Learn how an ARPA-E program is using light-powered technology to boost data center performance and energy efficiency for the future.
Also, we revisit our favorite energy-themed holiday poem from season 1! As always, you can find all our episodes at https://energy.gov/podcast.
Dec 19 2017
15mins
Play
SHORT CIRCUIT | History of the Light Bulb
We devote this Short Circuit to one of the most ubiquitous items in the world, 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. The History of The Light Bulb is an illuminating tale of a mother, child and some particularly enlightened bulbs.
Nov 14 2017
7mins
Play
S2 E7: Energy Secrets
Last year, Netflix's sci-fi hit "Stranger Things" called us out on being... well... a secretive agency. We set the record straight back then, but with season 2 coming out, there's more to the story.
So, prepare yourself: from the real science behind the Upside Down to the mysterious death of a U.S. president, Direct Current is pulling back the curtain on some of our deepest, darkest #EnergySecrets.
So, prepare yourself: from the real science behind the Upside Down to the mysterious death of a U.S. president, Direct Current is pulling back the curtain on some of our deepest, darkest #EnergySecrets.
Oct 27 2017
26mins
Play
SHORT CIRCUIT | Energy @ 40
The U.S. Department of Energy is 40 years old, and Direct Current is celebrating with a look back at four decades of #ScienceForThePeople. Join us as 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 official historians.
Oct 04 2017
17mins
Play
iTunes Ratings
94 Ratingsall
By Beaver Pond Ben - Mar 01 2018Not what you might expect!
Great info!
By justLuckey1 - Jul 27 2017Great content, great hosts, my new favorite podcast!