Energy can be both the cause and the instrument of modern war. Advances in energy have historically arisen during the urgency of wartime. Energy done the right way can lead to peace, energy done the wrong way leads to instability and conflict. WAR traces a centuries-long journey across the world to show us how energy changed the way we fight wars.

Energy is all around us, hidden in every aspect of our lives. The future of cities and the future of energy are closely connected. Cities shape our relationship with the natural and built environment and consume 40% of U.S. energy. CITIES traces a centuries-long journey across the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and North America to show us the energy that gave us modern cities.

Before modern energy, wealth was tied to land ownership. Today, wealth is tied to energy and who controls it. Energy changes the way wealth is concentrated, creating a cascade of social and economic effects. WEALTH traces a centuries-long journey across the world to show us the energy that gives us wealth.

Innovations in energy have revolutionized transportation over time from literal horsepower for horse drawn carriages to modern combustion engines, electric vehicles, and rockets. Transportation changes societies and our sense of place changes along with it. Machines help us travel over land and across the sky, but they require an enormous amount of energy. TRANSPORTATION traces a centuries-long journey across the world to show us the energy that brings us modern transportation.

Learn how energy enabled rapid globalization, both as both a widely traded product and as a facilitator for moving goods globally. In the ancient world, globalization was always a goal, but modern forms of energy provided the missing link.

Culture and modern energy go hand in hand. Our fashion, music, and art all have been impacted by modern energy. Wealthy industrialists with fortunes made from energy funded much of modern culture, using energy systems to spread culture across the globe.

Modern energy transformed work over time. From farm to factory to office and the “work from home” revolution, energy is embedded in our systems of employment. What is the future of energy and work?

Modern energy takes us on a journey to the final frontier. This episode traces the history of space travel, with a focus on the energy innovations making it possible. Energy is required at every step in space exploration, and new forms of energy must be developed to reach other star systems.  Space exploration lets us examine earth-bound energy challenges like climate change.