Chapter Five
1. Kaku notes that, “Today
our planet is thoroughly wedded to fossil fuels in the form of oil, natural
gas, and coal. Altogether, the world consumes about 14 trillion watts of power,
of which 33 percent comes from oil, 25 percent from coal, 20 percent from gas,
7 percent from nuclear, 15 percent from biomass and hydroelectric, and a paltry
.5 percent from solar and renewables.”
- What are the challenges
of living with this current arrangement?
2. In the near future (present
to 2030), Kaku points to a mix of energy sources. Briefly discuss the pros and cons of each:
- Wind power
- Solar Cells
- Electric cars
- Nuclear fission
3. By midcentury (2030 to 2070), “the full impact
of a fossil fuel economy should be in full swing: global warming.”
What
are the challenges to reducing greenhouse gases and avoiding global flooding? Who will take responsibility for these?
4. Various approaches to fusion
power have been introduced. Again,
briefly discuss the pros and cons of each:
-
Hot fusion
- NIF – Fusion by laser
- ITER – Fusion in a magnetic field
- Tabletop fusion
5. In
the far future (2070 to 2100), “room temperature superconductors could produce supermagnets
capable of lifting trains and cars so they hover above the ground.”
-
How would such technology revolutionize our economy and our culture?
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