Description
Casey Handmer is the founder of Terraform Industries, who is developing a machine that makes synthetic natural gas from sunlight and air. He joins the podcast to explain his solar maximalist worldview, why he believes solar costs will drop another 10x, and the core physics that doomed Hyperloop from the start. They also discuss the lessons of the underappreciated industrialist Henry Kaiser, Casey's new venture in solar-powered desalination, his grand plan to refill the Salton Sea, and why he believes "hard-edged" leaders are essential for hardware success.
Show notes
Key moments
(00:00) Intro
(02:28) Henry Kaiser
(08:49) Introducing Terraform
(13:08) Where electricity won’t work
(16:50) The solar maximalist perspective
(22:57) Terraformer Mark One
(27:49) The role of intervention
(37:30) American dynamism
(47:36) The Origins of Efficiency, by Brian Potter
(48:33) Children and education
(37:30) American dynamism
(55:15) Desalination
(01:08:16) Lessons from leadership
