#067 Room-Temperature Superconductors and Nuclear Fusion with Andrew Cote of Thea Energy

Listen to the full episode now: https://kite.link/smartfriends67t

Room-temperature superconductors are here! Or are they? Today we’re going to explore the latest findings on the LK99 experiment. I’m speaking to?Andrew Cote, a stellarator engineer at?Thea Energy.

(For anyone who isn’t a nuclear physicist, a stellarator is a type of fusion reactor. Andrew’s basically a nuclear fusion engineer who uses superconductors in his daily work.)

In this episode, we talk about the importance of superconductors and how they could impact everything from electronics to energy generation. Andrew discusses the legitimacy of the recent superconductor breakthroughs. We also talk about nuclear fusion, quantum computers, and… invisibility cloaks?

Here’s what I learned from the?episode:

• LK99 is a potential watershed moment for science. It could be compared with the invention of the transistor.
• A room-temperature superconductor could revolutionize electronics and technology broadly. It could have a massive impact on various fields, including power transmission, microelectronics, and quantum computing.
• We delve into the idea of commercializing room-temperature superconductors, through an entirely automated AI robotic material science experiment farm.
• Despite the disappointments in some aspects of LK99, the experiment led to interesting findings like the doping effect in a lead crystal. These could have applications in material engineering, possibly leading to innovative designs like a new transistor or other materials unrelated to superconductors.
• Fusion energy is the "last energy source humanity will ever need." We talk about the timeline for fusion becoming a reality, its current challenges, and its potential to revolutionize energy production.
• Superconductors transmit energy without loss, improving the potential for large, centralized nuclear power plants and the idea of solar power from the desert powering distant cities like New York.
• Andrew does a deep dive into the complexity of fusion reactor design and how they produce energy.
• There’s huge international collaboration in fusion research, such as the ITER project. Andrew shows fusion's symbolic role in "thawing the cold war."
• There’s?a strong correlation between increased access to energy and improved quality of life.
• Failing to transition to abundant energy sources like nuclear fusion or unlimited geothermal would lead to dire consequences for all of us.
• Science fiction has anticipated many technological developments. There are huge second and third-order impacts technology can bring to civilization.

Invest your money into high-growth startups at the earliest stages

When new technologies meet the market, the world changes for the better. That's why we invest our money into the best founders in our network.

We write small checks to 15-20 very different startups each year. Previous investments include?Aalo,?Gently.com,?Omella,?Driv.ly,?Weavechain,?Stell Engineering,?Ouros,?Solve Data, and more.

Our?Website?has background on the fund, our past deals, and more.

Accredited Investors: reply to this email, I'll send you our deck, and we'll get you into our deals starting this quarter.

Enjoy the episode, and share your thoughts and questions with me on Twitter:?@EricJorgenson

Find show notes for each episode at?https://www.ejorgenson.com/podcast

Be well,

Eric