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Re: [Phys-L] article about Steve Chu and ARPA-E



I agree, Bob. I don't see any way for renewables to make a meaningful impact without some huge technology breakthroughs in the areas of photoelectrics, thermosolar, batteries, and hydrogen. Even with huge gov't lab efforts, fusion has gone nowhere. Investment in private solar firms has gone nowhere. I believe it's going to take a Manhatten Project effort by the gov't labs -- not grants to smaller groups -- if we want anything in the next 10 years.

-----Original Message-----
From: Phys-l [mailto:phys-l-bounces@phys-l.org] On Behalf Of LaMontagne,
Bob
Sent: Monday, September 10, 2012 4:31 PM
To: Phys-L@Phys-L.org
Subject: Re: [Phys-L] article about Steve Chu and ARPA-E

It will be interesting to look back in a few years to see if these "investments"
end up being of more benefit to the country than if these researchers stayed
at their "top research laboratories".

Bob at PC

-----Original Message-----
From: Phys-l [mailto:phys-l-bounces@phys-l.org] On Behalf Of John
Denker
Sent: Monday, September 10, 2012 10:41 AM
To: Phys-L@Phys-L.org
Subject: [Phys-L] article about Steve Chu and ARPA-E

In case you ever want examples of interesting things that physicists
do when they are not in the classroom: The Atlantic has an article on
what Steve Chu has been up to at the Department of Energy.

After receiving an unprecedented surge in funding for renewable
energy courtesy of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Chu
set to work hiring big names from the nation's top research
laboratories, in order to staff a new agency called ARPA-E, modeled
after DARPA, the R&D wing of the Pentagon. In just three years,
ARPA-E has made more than 180 investments in basic research projects
in renewable energy, and that's in addition to grants issued by the
Department of Energy proper,

The whole article is at:
http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/09/amid-partisan-
bickering-everyone-agrees-arpa-e-is-a-fascinating-experiment/261905/

Background info:
http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1997/chu-
autobio.html
http://www.nobelprize.org/mediaplayer/index.php?id=1079

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