Chu: New materials could be transformative
In a talk rich with historical examples, U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu made a strong case Wednesday that the right policies — and concerted efforts by the nation’s engineers and scientists — could once again produce significant growth in domestic manufacturing jobs, while addressing global problems of energy supply and climate change.In his talk at MIT, Chu delivered a history of “transformative technologies,” including the invention of artificial fertilizer and the “Green Revolution,” which together unleashed explosive growth in world food production; the creation of the automotive assembly line by Henry Ford, which made cars available to the mass market; and the invention of the transistor and integrated circuits at Bell Labs, which unleashed the digital revolution that has transformed people’s lives in countless ways. What the United States needs now, he said, is new transformative technologies in energy, especially ones that could boost the competitiveness of renewable, carbon-free...