Scientists from industry, government, and academia gathered this October in Seattle to discuss nuclear power, renewable sources, and related energy issues at the 49th Industrial Physics Forum organized by the Corporate Associates program of the American Institute of Physics (http://www.aip.org/ipf). The conference ran concurrently with the 54th annual AVS Symposium.
Although technological solutions dominated most sessions, the specter of climate change (see figure) loomed over the entire conference. For example, Rosina Bierbaum, an ecologist from the University of Michigan, illustrated a scenario in which annual US carbon emissions would nearly double by 2050 but could be halved in the same time if sustainable technology and policy are implemented.
“No single energy solution will suffice—a diversity of energy sources is required,” said Mildred Dresselhaus, MIT professor and chair of the AIP Governing Board. She emphasized the role that nanotechnology plays in engineering advanced properties in solar cells and...
