Guest Lectures

What is Energy?

Energy is so pervasive in our world that life would not exist without energy. The vocabulary of energy is also ubiquitous:

President Bush has a new Energy policy.
I need some energy, I better get an Energy Boost in my Jamba Juice.
The new Toyota Hybrid can supply 98 horsepower.
The average Boulder Creek Market sandwich contains 800 calories.
Larry Walker is getting his power back.
I love that music, it has such energy.

Our discussion of Energy in the American West needs to begin with a clarification of the vocabulary. My talk will begin with the scientific definition of energy and related terms like power, efficiency, heat, light, and work. I will pull us back in time to our high school science class when we learned about the different types of energy and the common units used to describe energy and power. Examples of the different types of energy will really bring home the message; energy is everywhere. I will also touch on the transport of energy. My hope is to get everyone in the room excited about the concept of energy and amazed at the natural beauty of how energy works.

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