Ernest Moniz
formerly the 13th United States Secretary of Energy and Cecil and Ida Green Professor of Physics and Engineering Systems, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Book Recommendations:
Recommended by Ernest Moniz
“Beautifully captures the science and the stories underpinning the convergence of biology and engineering as a transformative twenty-first-century enterprise. One of those stories―biologically organized batteries―addresses the clean-energy revolution needed for mitigating climate change, capturing both of Hockfield’s signature initiatives as MIT president.” (from Amazon)
From the former president of MIT, the story of the next technology revolution, and how it will change our lives. A century ago, discoveries in physics came together with engineering to produce an array of astonishing new technologies: radios, telephones, televisions, aircraft, radar, nuclear power, computers, the Internet, and a host of still-evolving digital tools. These technologies so radically reshaped our world that we can no longer conceive of life without them. Today, the world’s population is projected to rise to well over 9.5 billion by 2050, and we are currently faced with the consequences of producing the energy that fuels, heats, and cools us. With temperatures and sea levels rising, and large portions of the globe plagued with drought, famine, and drug-resistant diseases, we need new technologies to tackle these problems. But we are on the cusp of a new convergence, argues world-renowned neuroscientist Susan Hockfield, with discoveries in biology coming together with engineering to produce another array of almost inconceivable technologies―next-generation products that have the potential to be every bit as paradigm shifting as the twentieth century’s digital wonders. The Age of Living Machines describes some of the most exciting new developments and the scientists and engineers who helped create them. Virus-built batteries. Protein-based water filters. Cancer-detecting nanoparticles. Mind-reading bionic limbs. Computer-engineered crops. Together they highlight the promise of the technology revolution of the twenty-first century to overcome some of the greatest humanitarian, medical, and environmental challenges of our time.
Recommended by Ernest Moniz
“Jaffe and Taylor have produced a masterpiece that lays out the scientific foundations of energy sources, uses and systems - from fossil fuels to geothermal, engines to wind turbines, electric grid to climate change. I can only wish that The Physics of Energy had been available twenty years earlier when I first had responsibility for the US Department of Energy science and energy programs without the benefit of this extraordinary resource!” (from Amazon)
The Physics of Energy provides a comprehensive and systematic introduction to the scientific principles governing energy sources, uses, and systems. This definitive textbook traces the flow of energy from sources such as solar power, nuclear power, wind power, water power, and fossil fuels through its transformation in devices such as heat engines and electrical generators, to its uses including transportation, heating, cooling, and other applications. The flow of energy through the Earth's atmosphere and oceans, and systems issues including storage, electric grids, and efficiency and conservation are presented in a scientific context along with topics such as radiation from nuclear power and climate change from the use of fossil fuels. Students, scientists, engineers, energy industry professionals, and concerned citizens with some mathematical and scientific background who wish to understand energy systems and issues quantitatively will find this textbook of great interest.