Does this sound straight out of a science-fiction novel? That's because it is.
In "Termination Shock", Neil Stephenson described a near-future earth where climate change has significantly altered human society and follows the attempts of a businessman using solar geoengineering to cool the planet.
Luke Iseman, a hardware entrepreneur and solarpunk, read the book and dug into Stephenson's research on solar geoengineering.
To his amazement, he found that it was possible and nobody is trying it out!
Luke founded make sunsets to experiment with balloons sending sulfur dioxide particles that reflect sunlight into the stratosphere, effectively replicating the process that volcanoes have done for millions of years to cool the planet.
In this episode, we're joined by regulatory hacker Eli Dourado to better understand this powerful technology that could help humanity achieve climate mastery.
Major innovations often start with hobbyists, tinkerers, and true believers, as Clayton Christenson's "The Innovator's Dilemma" found out.
They are not taken seriously by the mainstream for a long time.
While starting on a small scale, Luke's experiments have nevertheless engendered controversy in the scientific community.
We talk about why science is disconnected from promoting real-world innovation by focusing too much on analysis instead of action and real-world experimentation.
The episode is a fascinating journey that helps us better understand the challenges faced by entrepreneurs on the frontiers of science and technology.
They are not hailed while they are doing the work, they instead face skepticism often from powerful groups - partly for good reasons as new technology never comes in a mature form, but also partly because incumbents fear for their status.
As a result, we learn that entrepreneurs need to build a community of true believers around them on a mission against a hostile mainstream culture.
If you are an entrepreneur and seek a community of techno-optimists, join us for upcoming conferences in Prospera, the startup city:
Supercharging Health 2023 - A Próspera Builders’ Summit, April 21-23 on Roatan.
Decentralizing Finance 2023 - A Próspera Builders’ Summit, May 5-7 on Roatan.
Ep. 37: Solar Geoengineering with Stratospheric Clouds, the World's Thermostat to Master Climate and Why Science Needs A Bias to Action w/ Make Sunsets CEO Luke Iseman & Eli Dourado