The Strange Plan to Shine Sunlight at Night

The Really Very Crunchy Podcast

Emily & Jason Morrow

Kids & Family, Parenting

4.9 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 13 March 2026

⏱️ 17 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

A startup is proposing something that sounds like science fiction: putting giant mirrors in orbit to reflect sunlight back to Earth. The idea is to bounce sunlight onto solar farms after dark, potentially generating energy at night and extending daylight for certain locations. In this episode, Emily and Jason talk through the concept, the potential benefits, and the serious concerns scientists are raising. Could mirrors in space actually help solve energy problems, or would they create bigger issues like light pollution, disrupted ecosystems, and a permanently altered night sky? Musicbed License MB01CY09GVAQN5W MB01QMG7MOUY9PH Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	As with the last episode, I messed up the cards on the cameras.
0:06.3	It was only one incident.
0:07.9	It's not like he's just that.
0:10.3	That incompetent?
0:11.6	That incompetent.
0:12.4	No, we recorded it all at once.
0:14.9	So now you know the inside scoop of how we do things around here.
0:18.4	I'm pretty sure they knew from our clothes.
0:20.8	Oh. Yeah. My tux here. I'm pretty sure they knew from our clothes. Oh.
0:21.5	Yeah.
0:22.5	My tuxedo that I'm wearing.
0:25.2	Anyway, back next week with video.
0:28.8	We'll see you then.
0:29.8	Enjoy the audio only.
0:31.3	You're listening to the really very crunchy podcast bonus episode.
0:36.6	Emily, we're in trouble. Yeah. There's a startup company.
0:43.6	They're called Reflect Orbital of Hawthorne, California. They want to put lights up in the
0:51.6	night sky. What?
0:54.9	Yep.
1:00.3	That is what they want to do, and they might have been cleared by the FCC.
1:04.7	They want to put lights in the night sky and ruin everything.
1:05.6	Oh, yeah.
	...

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