One of the many things that continue to bug me about the world is the way that many people in the computer and electronics world have captured the term “tech” for their industries. I sometimes feel like that kid in a great big family who finally acts up just to get some attention. I want to jump up and down and tell Silicon Valley types – especially the ones on Sand Hill Road – hey guys, there are other high technology fields out there besides electronics!
Anyway, I was encouraged to note that Techrockies had conducted an interview with Hyperion CEO John (Grizz) Deal and led off the post covering that interview with the following paragraph – indicating that there are some people who are beginning to get excited by the amazing capabilities enabled by atomic technology:
No presentation turned more heads—or spurred more talk—at the Venture Capital in the Rockies Fall Conference earlier this month than Hyperion Power Generation. The New Mexico-based startup is trying to turn an old idea into a novel technology—a nuclear reactor small enough to be shipped by train or truck but powerful enough to supply electricity to a small city or a large industrial operation.
I know that many people in the nuclear industry prefer to quietly go about their job and feel satisfied when they are NOT in the news, but that is a self-defeating way to introduce revolutionary, market disrupting technology. Go read the interview and get excited by the possibilities! Hyperion’s concept is just one of many that some really smart national laboratory types have been quietly developing for decades without too much notice or support. I think American taxpayers are going to be glad that we made some of those investments over the years.
