Rank #1: 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
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Rank #2: 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
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Rank #3: 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
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Rank #4: 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
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Rank #5: 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
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Rank #6: 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
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Rank #7: 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
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Rank #8: 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
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Rank #9: 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
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Rank #10: 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
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Rank #11: 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
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Rank #12: 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 #13: 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
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Rank #14: 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
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Rank #15: 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
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Rank #16: 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 #17: 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
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Rank #18: 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!
Aug 09 2017
19mins
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Rank #19: 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, and the challenges they tackle so far-reaching, that it’s hard to talk about all 17 of them -- there’s just too much to cover in one episode.
Or is there?
This episode takes on that challenge. Buckle up for a journey through all 17 National Labs… in 17 minutes.
Learn more at energy.gov/labs.
Or is there?
This episode takes on that challenge. Buckle up for a journey through all 17 National Labs… in 17 minutes.
Learn more at energy.gov/labs.
Jul 24 2017
22mins
Play
Rank #20: This Lab Is Your Lab
We have a holiday treat for you. 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.The National Labs tackle the critical scientific challenges of our time and possess unique instruments and facilities, many of which are found nowhere else in the world. Each lab is unique, but they're all connected, and the work they do benefits all Americans.HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!Performance by Matt Schaub | Lyrics by Simon Edelman and Amy Phillips Bursch
Jun 30 2017
2mins
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