Daniel Dennett Investigates Energy Innovation.

Question: What new technologies are you most excited about?

Dennett:    I don’t know, if I knew I’d either have a Nobel Prize or be a billionaire.  I don’t know.  I like to think that we may find some really transformative breakthroughs on energy.  I think that renewable clean energy is one of the great obstacles in the way of sort of evening out the wealth in the world and making it a safer planet and I think that would be, that would be wonderful. 

Question: Is the Obama Administration good for alternative energy?

Dennett:    Well, they’ve said so and with sincerity and with some early actions to bare out that they mean it, I know the NSF was thrilled with the transition team that we’re so knowledgeable and so eager to see what they could do when they came in.  Actually before, before the inauguration to sort of scout out what the NSF was doing and what it need and the current economic crisis of course is required, has cut back a lot on that but of course a lot of funding will go forward for clean energy and for other applications, high tech applications that will make the world a more efficient and safer place.  I’m quite confident, yeah.