Technological convergence and dematerialization's impact on energy and materials In 1991, the electronics retailer RadioShack ran an ad in the paper for the devices it sold.  Today in 2025, the ad seems like an artifact of a bygone era, as the ubiquitous smartphone has replaced all those electronic gadgets. Technological convergence, or device convergence, is when multiple once-separate tools or devices are replaced by a single device that can perform all the previous functio

It has been almost 2 years of writing Energy Resource Dynamics. I've learned a lot, and I hope you have too. My original intention was to help readers understand the physical details of how we humans use energy and other natural resources. I've written 50+ articles about how cogeneration, oil refineries, nuclear reactors, and photosynthesis works, explored the implications of biofuels and trophic levels, and investigated thermodynamic concepts like how entropy and exergy a

Why cheap, abundant energy is problematic—even if it's renewable. Cheap energy sounds like an obvious win. Who wouldn’t want lower bills...

The overlooked tankless water heater problem—plus heat pump, solar thermal, and point-of-use. When you take a shower and aren't freezing...

The Case For and Against Nuclear Energy As global electricity demand surges due to electrification, economic growth, and population...

An overview of how different nuclear power plants work; or how to get electricity from rocks. Nuclear energy accounts for about 9% of the...

A foundational concept of nearly everything that we often misunderstand Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) is everywhere, and it may be one...

Comparing and visualizing common forms of energy What's a kilowatt-hour? Although we still don't know what energy is at its most...

Using physics to travel smarter. Nobody likes waste. That is, spending something and getting nothing. Efficiency is a ratio of how much...

Comparing the amount of energy required to move people and stuff around by different methods. And, road trip or fly? One of the critical...

The 3 factors that determine total resource use and environmental disruption. Human existence necessarily causes some disruption to the...

7 interconnected problems worth solving The environment is everything that surrounds us—air, water, land, plants, animals, and other...

Exploring the economic and environmental impacts of biofuel. Biofuels have garnered significant attention as an alternative energy source...

When more from less leads to more from more. The Jevons Paradox is an economic theory that describes a counterintuitive phenomenon:...

A way to reduce waste and upgrade your home's thermal performance. The best thing to do with a material, both economically and...

Defining a critical concept and its implications. It's unfortunate that the term "sustainability" connotes liberal environmentalists...

Exploring the foundation of life. Photosynthesis is the process by which plants use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into...

Defining the usefulness of energy and resources. In order to understand exergy, we must first understand energy. Energy is all around...

The staggering harm ducts in attics are causing your home, wallet, comfort, and America's energy resources. In our collective quest to...

Exploring the process of refining crude oil into useful products. The world of oil refineries is a complex and fascinating one, integral...