To prevent an increase in global average temperatures that would pose unacceptable risks to life on Earth, we must rapidly and significantly reduce emissions of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
If meeting this challenge weren’t difficult enough, we must do it while also satisfying growing global demand for energy: primary energy use is projected to increase 60% by 2050 due to population growth and rising living standards. Achieving our energy goals will require nothing short of the transformation of the global energy system within this century. While much of this transformation will depend upon policies that incentivize the deployment of existing low-carbon energy sources, technological innovation must also play a key role in the energy transition by lowering the cost and improving the reliability of renewables and other low-carbon solutions. This seminar will focus primarily on the need for continued energy innovation and will highlight promising technological developments from MIT and elsewhere in solar and nuclear energy, battery storage, and the power grid, among other areas. The seminar will explain why fusion, the same nuclear reaction from which the Sun draws its energy, may not be as far off as you think, and why driving an electric car might not reduce your carbon footprint — yet.
This program is also part of our Women in STEM Initiative.
While few have heard of this rare disease, the research behind Rett Syndrome is pushing…
Imagine walking into a medical office and receiving a diagnosis in minutes rather than days.…
Here's the What, Why, and Where from my interview with Dr. Mashito Jimbo. Dr. Jimbo…
Humans and animals have had complex relationships with one another throughout history. From domestication to…
Imagine your child is sick, and no amount of doctor visits provides a satisfying answer…