Introduction to Solar Fuels

The current energy crisis is a time of intense challenges but also of opportunities for fantastic science and innovative ideas. Chemists, along with partners in other scientific disciplines, in policy, in industry, in advocacy, and beyond, all have a crucial role to play. Do you ...  Show more

Andrea Bachmeier, a DPhil student in the Armstrong Group, is helping to create a fully integrated artificial photosynthesis (APS) system which could be much more efficient at turning sunlight into fuel than living systems. 

First up in our energy series: solar! How do we harness the energy from the sun to produce electricity? Why should we? What are the environmental impacts?   Resources for this episode: National Renewable Energy Laboratory How Does Solar Work (energy.gov) End of Life Solar Panels: ...  Show more

Brains On is a non-profit public radio program. There are lots of ways to support the show:Support the podcast with donation | Subscribe to Smarty Pass for ad-free episodes and bonus content | Buy our book and merch | Come to our live showsSolar panels capture energy from the sun ...  Show more

Approximately every eleven years, our sun experiences a cycle in which its magnetic poles flip. During this cycle, solar flares and sunspot activity increase, and then the sun returns to a state of relative calm.  These solar cycles have been tracked for over two hundred years an ...  Show more

Learn the basics about Photosynthesis here!