Season 1 - Episode 5
EPISODE 5 - Going Dark
The kids are without power. We find out why we need electricity.
The Nox epidemic gets another boost when the power goes out. The kids figure out how to hack a car battery but the situation has gotten worse. In this episode we'll look at how much electricity is a part of our lives thanks to the electric motor. We'll also answer these questions: What is electricity anyway? (hint: it's like going tobogganing but for electrons). Can electric eels charge their own cellphones (no)? Could they (yes)? And who is George Westinghouse? Also, what does an Australian metal band from the 70s and a cartoon from the 80s have to do with the power grid? The answers are shocking.
EXPLORE
GUESTS
Prof. Bernard Carlson
Bernard is professor of science, technology, and society in the School of Engineering and Applied Science and professor of history at the University of Virginia. His books include Technology in World History and Innovation as a Social Process: Elihu Thomson and the Rise of General Electric, 1870-1900.
Francisco Suarez, PhD
My research focused on the design and fabrication of flexible thermoelectric generators (TEGs) for self-powered, wearable electronics. This includes identifying design improvements that can be made by modeling the complete system of TEGs on the human body, experimentally fabricating flexible thermoelectric generators that can accept as well as employ current commercial materials/manufacturing techniques and testing of both rigid and flexible thermoelectrics on the human body.
