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A Hydrocarbon Heaven profiles Nick Abson, an English fuel-cell developer who’s been working for decades to create systems that convert everyday organic items – everything from dead leaves to chicken waste – into usable energy. Neither scientist nor engineer, Abson’s tools and materials are nearly as simple as his energy sources, his idea being to ‘make something that anyone can make’. His ultimate goal is complete energy freedom, in which everyone is able to convert the organic waste around them into electricity.
Director: Jason Taylor
Website: The Source Project
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Engineering
A close-up look at electronic paper reveals its exquisite patterns – and limitations
9 minutes
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Architecture
West Africa was once an architectural laboratory. Is it time for a revival?
12 minutes
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Work
A Swedish expat in the Philippines wonders: what’s up with people sleeping at work?
14 minutes
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Cognition and intelligence
What’s this buzz about bees having culture? Inside a groundbreaking experiment
8 minutes
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Earth science and climate
The only man permitted in Bhutan’s sacred mountains chronicles humanity’s impact
22 minutes
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Cosmology
The Indian astronomer whose innovative work on black holes was mocked at Cambridge
13 minutes
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Art
‘If you’re creative, why can’t you create a solution?’ One artist’s imaginative activism
17 minutes
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The ancient world
An ancient Roman’s hilarious (and perhaps relatable) response to a social snub
2 minutes
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Death
A hunter’s lyrical reflection on the humbling business of being mortal
6 minutes