Fusion energy: Wishing upon a star in a jar — Introducing 'Positive Charge' from GeekWire
GeekWire
GeekWire
4.8 • 128 Ratings
🗓️ 2 July 2026
⏱️ 38 minutes
🔗️ Recording | Apple Podcasts | RSS
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This week on the show, we're sharing the debut of Positive Charge, a new GeekWire podcast from reporter Lisa Stiffler and producer Laura Scott about the innovations that could help save the planet.
In this episode, they dig into the high-stakes race to harness the power of the sun and make fusion energy real, visiting two Seattle-area startups chasing this dream, and asking whether limitless clean power is finally within reach.
Also out this week: their debut episode on the "forever chemicals" in our water and the companies figuring out how to destroy them. Follow Positive Charge wherever you get your podcasts, or at geekwire.com/positivecharge.
Positive Charge is presented with support from Amazon Sustainability.
Sources and references
- David Kirtley, Helion Energy, CEO and co-founder
- Manav Singh, Helion Energy, director of electrical engineering
- Matthew Thompson, Zap Energy, senior vice president of fission technology and former vice president of systems engineering and pulsed power
- Laura Berzak Hopkins, Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, associate laboratory director for Strategy and Partnerships, and deputy chief research officer
GeekWire’s related coverage:
- Helion gives behind-the-scenes tour of secretive 60-foot fusion prototype as it races to deployment
- Helion makes big bet on ‘Tiny Merge’ fusion testbed to meet aggressive Microsoft timeline
- Inside Zap: Fusion pioneer tries to build ‘a star in a jar’ to unlock abundant clean energy
- Zap Energy’s nuclear double play: Fusion startup adds traditional fission to its lineup, in industry first
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | I had to give them my ID. I had to lock my phone in a lockbox, but it was just a level of security that I've never seen at any facility before. It's kind of wild. I mean, I don't think you look like an industrial spy, but I mean, I guess you've got to just be careful about these things. That's what would make me a perfect industrial spy, Lisa. That's true. |
| 0:30.1 | Hi, everyone. It's Geekwire editor Todd Bishop. Coming to you a little early this week with a special |
| 0:35.7 | episode. For the past couple of months, |
| 0:38.8 | our geekwire colleague Lisa Stifler, who covers topics including sustainability and the climate, |
| 0:44.7 | has been teaming up with independent audio producer Laura Scott to develop a new Geekwire podcast |
| 0:51.1 | called Positive Charge, exploring the innovations that could save the planet. |
| 0:56.7 | Their first episodes came out this week, and today we're going to be sharing one of them with you. |
| 1:02.5 | It's a deep dive into the high-stakes race to harness the power of the sun and make fusion energy real. |
| 1:09.8 | I've been helping out a little bit with the podcast behind the scenes, |
| 1:13.0 | and I love the rapport that Lisa and Laura have developed. It's really fun to eavesdrop on |
| 1:18.6 | their conversations in the office, and as you'll hear on the show. Beyond that, the topics that |
| 1:25.0 | they've been digging into really open your mind to the massive |
| 1:28.4 | potential of technology far beyond our screens and devices. And as you'll hear, Lisa has a real |
| 1:35.5 | knack for explaining complex technologies and challenges in colorful and vivid terms. Also out this |
| 1:43.5 | week is their debut episode on the forever chemicals |
| 1:47.1 | contaminating water around the world and the companies that are figuring out how to destroy them. |
| 1:52.9 | You can find both of those episodes and subscribe to Positive Charge wherever you get your |
| 1:57.6 | podcast, Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, YouTube, or at geekwire.com |
| 2:03.9 | slash positive charge. |
| 2:06.0 | My colleague, John Cook and I will be back next week with our regular show. |
| 2:10.7 | In the meantime, have a great Fourth of July, and here are Lisa and Laura with Positive Charge. |
| 2:16.4 | Thank you. And here are Lisa and Laura with Positive Charge. |
... |
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