Mad Like Tesla: Underdog Inventors and the Relentless Pursuit of Clean Energy

Hamilton, energy columnist for the Toronto Star, examines an array of ambitious ideas for alternatives to fossil fuels, such as nuclear fusion, space-based solar power, and man-made tornadoes. Hamilton argues that even if inventors on the fringe fail to develop new sources of energy "they still succeed by leading, by taking risks, by pursuing great leaps, and by keeping open minds when others remain so closed." Hamilton's vivid portrait of some of the people touting new technologies offers insight into why they've had trouble finding mainstream acceptance: one researcher who lays claim to inventing a machine that generates more power than it consumes%E2%80%94considered a scientific impossibility%E2%80%94drew the attention of musician Neil Young who entered a contest to design a car that achieves 100-miles-per-gallon. Hamilton approaches his subjects with an egalitarian bent, but it's not self-evident that a lone scientist's attempt to create a perpetual motion machine should be accorded the same weight as plans for space-based solar power by Solaren%E2%80%94which already has secured a contract with Pacific Gas and Electric of San Francisco. Still, Hamilton isn't interested in forecasting winners and losers as much as arguing that any and all efforts to develop new energy sources will boost the odds of "black swans": unexpected events that "can blindside the optimists and the pessimists alike." (Sept.)