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Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast

by U.S. Department of Energy

Direct Current is a podcast about energy -- the kind that lights our homes, powers our lives and shapes our world. From the U.S. Department of Energy's digital team in Washington, D.C., Direct Current brings you fresh, insightful stories of how we generate and use electricity, what that means for the planet, and the cutting-edge science that's driving a global energy revolution.

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Episodes

  1. S5 E4: Science Powered by Exascale

    What is exascale computing? Why does it matter? To find out, we connected with the computing experts at DOE's national laboratories. Join us as we discuss the arduous journey to build three of the fastest computers in the world and their software. After more than a decade of planning and work,...

  2. S5 E3: The Next Generation Science of Pandemics

    The COVID-19 pandemic serves as a stark reminder that, despite our great achievements, we are still bound by the laws of our own biology. And while the Coronavirus has been a tragedy on a global scale, it has also pushed the scientific community to new levels of cooperation, coordination, and...

  3. S5 E2: Fully Charged: How Batteries Are Combating the Climate Crisis, Part 2

    The second of two episodes, we’re going under the hood to take a look at something these EVs all share in common — a battery. Where do they come from? How do they work? And how the U.S. is working to meet the demand for millions of batteries for EVs, grid storage, and more.

  4. S5 E1: Fully Charged: How Batteries Are Combating the Climate Crisis, Part 1 (REBROADCAST)

    The first of two episodes, we’re going under the hood to take a look at something these EVs all share in common — a battery. Where do they come from? How do they work? And how the U.S. is working to meet the demand for millions of batteries for EVs, grid storage, and more.

  5. S4 E5: End of Year Chat with Secretary Jennifer Granholm

    Join us for an energizing conversation with Secretary Jennifer Granholm, focused on the Department of Energy’s 2023 accomplishments and the progress of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. From shaping the future of transportation to creating thousands of good-paying clean energy jobs....

  6. S4 E4: 70 Years of Atoms for Peace

    70 years ago, President Dwight D. Eisenhower went before the United Nations and delivered a speech unlike anything the world had ever heard. The president spoke in sweeping terms about the terrible destructive power of new atomic weapons. But he also had a message for the assembly, one with a…

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  7. S4 E3: Fully Charged: How Batteries Are Combating the Climate Crisis, Part 1

    The first of two episodes, we’re going under the hood to take a look at something these EVs all share in common — a battery. Where do they come from? How do they work? And how the U.S. is working to meet the demand for millions of batteries for EVs, grid storage, and more.

  8. The Manhattan Project, Part 2 (REBROADCAST)

    The conclusion of our two part story on the Manhattan Project. We take you to the Trinity site where the first bomb was tested and then follow the Airmen as they drop the first ever atomic bombs. Later, learn about the creation of the Department of Energy and how, along with the National Park...

  9. The Manhattan Project, Part 1 (REBROADCAST)

    The first of two episodes that tell the story of an unprecedented, U.S. government effort to beat Nazi Germany in the race to construct a nuclear weapon, the dawn of the atomic age, and how that legacy is being preserved.

  10. S4 E2: The Extremes of Weather in a Changing Climate

    In this second episode of season 4 of Direct Current, we dive into a topic that’s been in the news a lot lately: extreme weather. While intense storms have splashed across headlines throughout history, the frequency seems to be increasing. Interviews with Colin Zarzycki, an Assistant Professor at...

  11. S4 E1: Keeping the Lights on in Ukraine

    Season 4 of Direct Current opens with a race against the clock, as the Department of Energy and National Labs join forces with industry and international partners to get emergency shipments of electrical grid components to Ukraine — before Russian attacks plunge the country into darkness.

  12. Who Cares About Quantum? (Season 4 Teaser)

    "Quantum" is everywhere these days — in the news, on TV, in the titles of blockbuster action films — but what even is it? Why is it important to understand it? Basically... who cares about quantum? To find out, we got philosophical with National Lab quantum scientists Anna Grassellino and David...

  13. People Powered: Chris Castro, Director of Sustainability

    For years, Chris Castro worked tirelessly to bring a brighter future to the city of Orlando, Florida. We heard from the (now-former) director of sustainability about how he got his start, his passion for clean energy, and the city's resilience efforts.

  14. People Powered: Conrad Flowers, Lead Interconnection Engineer

    Conrad Flowers wanted a more fulfilling career, so he followed his passion and took a job in solar energy. Now he’s connecting solar farms to the electric grid and helping train the next generation of engineers.

  15. People Powered: AlexAnna Salmon, Village Council President

    AlexAnna Salmon is a fierce advocate for her home, a remote Alaskan town called Igiugig. As village council president, she's working to preserve her tribe's traditional way of life amid a warming climate and a shift from fossil fuels to clean energy.

  16. People Powered: Gaby Ibarra, Building Energy Analyst

    Our series highlighting workers in clean energy continues! Gaby Ibarra, a first-generation college student and daughter of immigrants, shares her journey into a new career helping modernize heating and cooling systems for old buildings in New York City.

  17. People Powered: Michael Flores, Wind Technician

    In the latest episode of "People Powered," our new series on clean energy careers, wind technician Michael Flores shares what it's like to travel the country and scale 300-foot wind turbines for a living — and why he's sticking with wind for the long run.

  18. People Powered: Kaly Moore, Solar Construction Manager

    Presenting "People Powered," a new series on clean energy careers! There are millions of good-paying jobs in energy, and we'll be introducing you to the folks who do them — starting with Kaly Moore, construction manager at a Washington, DC, solar company.

  19. Brewing Up Energy Savings

    Contained within a single glass of beer is hundreds of hours of labor and vast amounts of resources. Join us as we go inside a popular craft brewery and learn how DOE programs are helping reduce costs while saving water and energy.

  20. LCLS-II: Brighter, Faster, Smaller

    Stretching nearly two miles under a freeway in Palo Alto, CA, the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) is a huge X-ray laser with the power to capture images of molecules in motion. Now, a big upgrade is taking this SLAC Lab facility to the next level.

  21. LPO's New Look: A Conversation with Jigar Shah

    With $40 billion in lending authority, the Loan Programs Office is one of the Energy Department's most powerful clean energy investment tools. We sat down with Director Jigar Shah to talk about how LPO works, and what's in store for the future of energy.

  22. Getting to Know Secretary Granholm

    The nation's 16th Secretary of Energy, Jennifer Granholm, sat down with Direct Current to talk clean energy, climate, her "obsession" with creating millions of good-paying union jobs, and her vision for the Department of Energy.

  23. Mars 2020, Part 2: SuperCam Does It All

    Developed by Los Alamos National Lab, SuperCam is the scientific “Swiss Army Knife” for NASA's Mars Perseverance Rover. In this episode, we hear from the SuperCam team what it's like shooting rocks with lasers, and how it could help us find life on...

  24. Mars 2020, Part 1: Powered by Plutonium

    NASA's Mars Perseverance Rover is loaded with technology developed by the Department of Energy, including a nuclear battery fueled by plutonium-238. Listen as we follow the rover’s power source on its 7-year, 5,000-mile journey from lab to launch pad.

  25. AI: Safer, Smarter, More Secure (Live at AAAS)

    Artificial intelligence is all around us — even if we don’t realize it — and the rapid spread of AI technologies into our lives raises big questions about security. Our guests in this episode study the risks of ever-present AI,

  26. The Future of Water & Wildfire (Live at AAAS)

    COVID-19 is dominating the headlines, but the pandemic isn’t the only threat to human health. Water is an essential part of life, but changes in the water cycle can have disastrous results. The National Labs are working to understand and predict them.

  27. National Labs Respond to COVID-19

    An interview with Dr. Chris Fall, Director of the Department of Energy Office of Science, about the agency’s response to COVID-19.

  28. Tribal Energy: Powering Self-Determination

    For hundreds of Indian tribes and native communities across the United States, energy represents many things: a lifeline, a source of income, a path to sovereignty. Learn how the Office of Indian Energy helps tribes take control of their energy destinies.

  29. AI: This Is Just the Beginning

    Artificial intelligence is all over the news, but what's all the hype really about? We travel to Oak Ridge National Lab in Tennessee to find out how AI is going to revolutionize science, and welcome a new podcast to the Department of Energy family!

  30. S3 E8: KRUSTY in Spaaace!

    50 years after Apollo 11 made history, NASA is getting ready to send astronauts back to the Moon, then on to Mars. We're going to need a power supply that can keep humans alive in space for years at a time. Could a miniature nuclear reactor be the answer?

  31. S3 E7: DUNE: The Neutrinos Must Flow

    Join Direct Current on a subatomic sojourn into the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), a massive international research project aiming to unlock the secrets of the neutrino and answer the question, "Why does anything exist?"

  32. S3 E6: Women in Power: The C3E Story

    Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast talks to the women who are leading a clean energy revolution, with a little help from C3E. It's part support network, part annual gathering, part awards show — and all about empowerment.

  33. S3 E5: Microbiomes! Live at AAAS

    There's an invisible world of microbes living all around us that we're only just beginning to understand. We talked to two DOE scientists at the 2019 AAAS Meeting in D.C. to learn how genetic research could answer big questions about these tiny organisms.

  34. S3 E4: This Episode Stinks

    Grease. Gunk. Sludge. Where most people see a nasty nuisance, these scientists see powerful potential. Join us as we wade into the world of bioenergy and learn about the folks working to turn waste into useful energy!

  35. S3 E3: Nuclear Energy: Fact, Fiction, Future

    Nuclear energy gets a bad rap on "The Simpsons," but there's a lot more to the story. In this episode of Direct Current, we separate fact from fiction and and explore how splitting atoms could play a big role in America's clean energy future.

  36. S3 E2: Makers

    This episode of Direct Current is dedicated to the makers at the Energy Department — the engineers, researchers and artisans whose creations are pushing science and technology to exciting new places.

  37. S3 E1: Sitting Down with Secretary Perry

    You know Rick Perry as the current Secretary of Energy and former Texas governor, but did you know he once played drums with ZZ Top? On the Direct Current season 3 premiere, hear from Perry on everything from supercomputers to "Dancing with the Stars."

  38. S2 E9: Power Couple

    A pair of energy detectives is hunting down waste and saving money at two big U.S. manufacturing companies. Hear their story, and learn how our Better Plants program is helping partners across the nation find similar success.

  39. S2 E8: Holiday Lights, Redux

    We're keeping the season merry and bright with a show about data and holiday lights!

  40. SHORT CIRCUIT | History of the Light Bulb

    One of the most ubiquitous items in the world is an item you can probably see from wherever you’re listening… the light bulb. The story of how the light bulb came to light is a fascinating one that we think even a child could understand.

  41. S2 E7: Energy Secrets

    From the real science behind the Upside Down in Netflix's "Stranger Things" to the mysterious death of a U.S. president, Direct Current is pulling back the curtain on some of our deepest, darkest #EnergySecrets.

  42. SHORT CIRCUIT | Energy @ 40

    Energy is 40 and we're celebrating with a look back at four decades of #ScienceForThePeople. We talk to the Department's longest-serving employee (53 years!), revisit the agency's origins, and look to the future with the help of our official historians.

  43. S2 E6: A Shot in the Dark

    Earth, the cosmos, everything we can see with our eyes and our instruments is made up of normal matter. But all that doesn’t add up to a whole lot. It's just 15% of the mass of the universe. The rest is an unknown, invisible… something…

  44. SHORT CIRCUIT | Solar, Meet Eclipse

    Solar power is booming in the U.S. So what happens when the sun disappears during the total solar eclipse on August 21, 2017? We talk to the energy experts.

  45. S2 E5: Hyper Drive Time

    And now, for something completely different… Take a drive with Direct Current as we mash up three slightly off-kilter energy stories. It might get weird, but it won’t be boring. It’s Hyper Drive Time!

  46. S2 E4: 17 Labs in 17 Minutes

    The Department of Energy’s National Labs are the crown jewels of science in America. But their work is so diverse that it’s hard to cover all 17 of them in one podcast episode. So naturally, Direct Current took on that challenge.

  47. This Lab Is Your Lab

    As we head into July 4, enjoy "This Lab Is Your Lab." A song meant to highlight some of the amazing work being done across the Energy Department's system of 17 National Labs, the crown jewels of science in the United States.

  48. S2 E3: The Manhattan Project, Part 2

    The conclusion to our two part series on the Manhattan Project -- an unprecedented, U.S. government effort to beat Nazi Germany in the race to construct a nuclear weapon, the dawn of the atomic age, and how that legacy is being preserved.

  49. SHORT CIRCUIT | Ruth's Story

    Ruth Huddleston was 18 when she took a job at a secret Army facility in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, during World War II. It was so highly classified that no one could even tell her what she was working on. We have her story.

  50. S2 E2: The Manhattan Project, Part 1

    The first of two episodes that tell the story of an unprecedented, U.S. government effort to beat Nazi Germany in the race to construct a nuclear weapon, the dawn of the atomic age, and how that legacy is being preserved.

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

Direct Current is a podcast about energy -- the kind that lights our homes, powers our lives and shapes our world. From the U.S. Department of Energy's digital team in Washington, D.C., Direct Current brings you fresh, insightful stories of how we generate and use electricity, what that means for the planet, and the cutting-edge science that's driving a global energy revolution.

HOSTED BY

U.S. Department of Energy

Produced by Energy.gov Digital Team

CATEGORIES

government science

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast have?

Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast currently has 62 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast about?

Direct Current is a podcast about energy -- the kind that lights our homes, powers our lives and shapes our world. From the U.S. Department of Energy's digital team in Washington, D.C., Direct Current brings you fresh, insightful stories of how we generate and use electricity, what that means for...

How often does Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast release new episodes?

Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast has 62 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.

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Who hosts Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast?

Direct Current - An Energy.gov Podcast is created and hosted by U.S. Department of Energy.
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