MATERIAL MATTERS with fairly low loss.They carry only about the Analysis of Global Security,www.iags. Hackerman Chair in Chemistry in 1982. 1 gigawatt,or 1000 megawatts,however, org(accessed April 2005);Amory Lovins, Smalley was a founder of the Quantum not the 100 gigawatts we need.If,through Rocky Mountain Institute,www.rmi.org Institute in 1979 and served as chair from new technology,we could figure out how (accessed April 2005);M.I.Hoffert et al., 1986 to 1996.In 1990,he became a professor to transport electricity over wires that Science 298 (November 1,2002)p.981;and in the Department of Physics and was would deliver power thousands of miles "Basic Research Needs for the Hydrogen away from where it is generated,and do Economy:Report of the Basic Energy appointed University Professor in 2002. that for several pennies per extra premium, Sciences Workshop on Hydrogen Smalley was the founding director of the we could make the whole North American Production,Storage,and Use,May 13-15, Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology continent energy-self-sufficient. 2003,"www.sc.doe.gov/bes/hydrogen. at Rice in 1996 and is now director of the uni- pdf(accessed April 2005). versity's Carbon Nanotechnology Laboratory. Everybody Gets to Play Among Smalley's other awards and honors That goal is not as impossible as it Richard E.Smalley is the 1996 Nobel are election to the National Academy of might seem.There are places on this conti- Laureate in chemistry and a University Sciences (1990)and to the American Acad- nent that experience extremely intense Professor and professor of chemistry and emy of Arts and Sciences (1991),the Inter- solar radiation that is very reliable.There physics at Rice University.He received his national Prize for New Materials (1992),the are also highly remote places that most people would not object to as sites for BS degree in 1965 from the UIniversity of E.O.Lawrence Award of the U.S.Depart- nuclear power plants-places that would Michigan.After a four-year period as a ment of Energy (1992),the Franklin Medal not be in anybody's backyard.Today, research chemist with Shell Chemical (1996),the Distinguished Public Service most people are not even aware of what Company,he earned a master's degree in Medal from the L.S.Department of the Navy fraction of their electrical power comes 1971 and his PhD degree in 1973 from (1997),the Glenn T.Seaborg Medal of the from a nuclear plant,or where that plant is Princeton UIniversity.At Rice University,he State of Texas(2002),and the Lifetime located.They would be even less aware if rose rapidly through the academic ranks, Achievement Award from Small Times the facility were out in,say,Hanford, being named to the Gene and Norman Magazine (2003). Washington,my favorite place to put nuclear power plants.So,combining long- distance electrical power transmission with efficient local electrical storage gives us access to energy produced by any new technologies,as well as any existing power plants regardless of their technolo- possibility a comm gy or precise location.In the brave new energy era,everybody gets to play. Conclusion MRS Online Innovations in nanotechnology and other advances in materials science E-Mail Alerts would make it possible to transform our vision of plentiful,low-cost energy into a reality.By developing new technologies, marshaling the excellent resources of organizations like the Materials Research Sign up for any of these FREE services today and let the Society,and developing the talents of a Materials Research Society bring materials information to you! new generation of scientists and engi- neers,I believe that we can solve even eMatters our most critical energy problems. MRS Table of Contents Alert FoR FURTHER READING:David Goodstein, Out of Gas:The End of the Age of Oil (W.W. Just Published!Book Alert Norton Co.,New York,2004);Paul Roberts,The End of Oil:On the Edge of a ·MRS Meetings Alert Perilous New World (Houghton Mifflin, New York,2004);Daniel Yergin,The Prize: ·MRS Meeting Scene The Epic Quest for Oil,Money,Power (Free Press,New York,1991);Kenneth S. MRS Public Affairs Alert Deffeyes,Hubbert's Peak:The Impending World Oil Shortage (Princeton University ·Women in MS&E Press,Princeton,N.J.,2001);Matthew R. Simmons,Simmons Company Interna- For more information,go to... tional,www.simmonsco-intl.com (ac- www.mrs.org/alerts/ MRS Materials Research cessed April 2005);Association for the Society Study of Peak Oil Gas,www.peakoilnet (accessed April 2005);Gal Luft,Institute for MRS BULLETIN·VOLUME30◆JUWE20O5 www.mrs.org/publications/bulletin 417MATERIAL MATTERS MRS BULLETIN • VOLUME 30 • JUNE 2005 417 with fairly low loss. They carry only about 1 gigawatt, or 1000 megawatts, however, not the 100 gigawatts we need. If, through new technology, we could figure out how to transport electricity over wires that would deliver power thousands of miles away from where it is generated, and do that for several pennies per extra premium, we could make the whole North American continent energy– self-sufficient. Everybody Gets to Play That goal is not as impossible as it might seem. There are places on this conti￾nent that experience extremely intense solar radiation that is very reliable. There are also highly remote places that most people would not object to as sites for nuclear power plants—places that would not be in anybody’s backyard. Today, most people are not even aware of what fraction of their electrical power comes from a nuclear plant, or where that plant is located. They would be even less aware if the facility were out in, say, Hanford, Washington, my favorite place to put nuclear power plants. So, combining long￾distance electrical power transmission with efficient local electrical storage gives us access to energy produced by any new technologies, as well as any existing power plants regardless of their technolo￾gy or precise location. In the brave new energy era, everybody gets to play. Conclusion Innovations in nanotechnology and other advances in materials science would make it possible to transform our vision of plentiful, low-cost energy into a reality. By developing new technologies, marshaling the excellent resources of organizations like the Materials Research Society, and developing the talents of a new generation of scientists and engi￾neers, I believe that we can solve even our most critical energy problems. FOR FURTHER READING: David Goodstein, Out of Gas: The End of the Age of Oil (W.W. Norton & Co., New York, 2004); Paul Roberts, The End of Oil: On the Edge of a Perilous New World (Houghton Mifflin, New York, 2004); Daniel Yergin, The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, & Power (Free Press, New York, 1991); Kenneth S. Deffeyes, Hubbert’s Peak: The Impending World Oil Shortage (Princeton University Press, Princeton, N.J., 2001); Matthew R. Simmons, Simmons & Company Interna￾tional, www.simmonsco-intl.com (ac￾cessed April 2005); Association for the Study of Peak Oil & Gas, www.peakoil.net (accessed April 2005); Gal Luft, Institute for the Analysis of Global Security, www.iags. org (accessed April 2005); Amory Lovins, Rocky Mountain Institute, www.rmi.org (accessed April 2005); M.I. Hoffert et al., Science 298 (November 1, 2002) p. 981; and “Basic Research Needs for the Hydrogen Economy: Report of the Basic Energy Sciences Workshop on Hydrogen Production, Storage, and Use, May 13–15, 2003,” www.sc.doe.gov/bes/hydrogen. pdf (accessed April 2005). Richard E. Smalley is the 1996 Nobel Laureate in chemistry and a University Professor and professor of chemistry and physics at Rice University. He received his BS degree in 1965 from the University of Michigan. After a four-year period as a research chemist with Shell Chemical Company, he earned a master’s degree in 1971 and his PhD degree in 1973 from Princeton University. At Rice University, he rose rapidly through the academic ranks, being named to the Gene and Norman Hackerman Chair in Chemistry in 1982. Smalley was a founder of the Quantum Institute in 1979 and served as chair from 1986 to 1996. In 1990, he became a professor in the Department of Physics and was appointed University Professor in 2002. Smalley was the founding director of the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology at Rice in 1996 and is now director of the uni￾versity’s Carbon Nanotechnology Laboratory. Among Smalley’s other awards and honors are election to the National Academy of Sciences (1990) and to the American Acad￾emy of Arts and Sciences (1991), the Inter￾national Prize for New Materials (1992), the E.O. Lawrence Award of the U.S. Depart￾ment of Energy (1992), the Franklin Medal (1996), the Distinguished Public Service Medal from the U.S. Department of the Navy (1997), the Glenn T. Seaborg Medal of the State of Texas (2002), and the Lifetime Achievement Award from Small Times Magazine (2003). c a mo munity of scie ntific possibility • a community of sc ei ntif ci poss bi i il yt • MRS Online E-Mail Alerts Sign up for any of these FREE services today and let the Materials Research Society bring materials information to you! • eMatters • MRS Table of Contents Alert • Just Published! Book Alert • MRS Meetings Alert • MRS Meeting Scene • MRS Public Affairs Alert • Women in MS&E For more information, go to... www.mrs.org/alerts/ www.mrs.org/publications/bulletin