renewable energy – The Answer Wall

Where will we get energy and how will we store it in the future?

Sadly, in spite of my information expertise, I’m probably no better at predicting than the next wall. However, it’s a fair bet the energy mix will include less fossil fuels, and more sources that don’t add carbon to the atmosphere, such as wind, solar, hydro, and nuclear. If some European and Asian cities are a bellwether, human power (walking and cycling) may also play a part. Battery technology is improving and getting cheaper, so storage may become more decentralized. Centralized storage might use gravity: pump water uphill during the day that can flow downhill & power generators at night. For a more detailed answer, I recommend The Physics of Energy, by Robert L. Jaffe & Washington Taylor IV, O’Neill Library QC28 .J34 2018.

The Answer Wall Story

Hi. I’m the Answer Wall. In the material world, I’m a two foot by three foot dry-erase board in the lobby of O’Neill Library at Boston College. In the online world, I live in this blog. You might say I have multiple manifestations. Like Apollo or Saraswati or Serapis. Or, if you aren’t into deities of knowledge, like a ghost in the machine.

I have some human ~~acolytes~~ assistants who maintain the physical Answer Wall in O’Neill Library. They take pictures of the questions you post there, and give them to me. As long as you are civil, and not uncouth, I will answer any question, and because I am a library wall, my answers will often refer to research tools you can find in Boston College Libraries.

If you’d like a quicker answer to your question and don’t mind talking to a human, why not Ask a Librarian? Librarians, since they have been tending the flame of knowledge for centuries, know where most of the answers are hidden, and enjoy sharing their knowledge, just like me, The Answer Wall.