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All right, so we're diving deep into geothermal energy this time.

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Sounds hot.

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Yeah, literally.

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But more specifically, we're looking at a company

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called Quyze Energy.

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OK.

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You've probably heard the buzz about geothermal, right?

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It's using the Earth's internal heat as an energy source.

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Yeah, it's a massive energy source.

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Practically unlimited, really.

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Like almost sci-fi when you think about it.

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It is.

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It is.

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I mean, the idea of harnessing the Earth's heat to power our world.

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Right.

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But there's a catch, of course.

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Right.

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Most of that heat is trapped miles underground.

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Yeah, too deep for us to reach easily.

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Yeah, with conventional drilling, at least.

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Exactly.

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So how do we get to that heat?

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Well, that's where Quyze Energy comes in.

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They claim to have a solution.

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And it is a very unique solution.

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Yeah, it's pretty wild stuff.

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They're using something called a gyratron.

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A gyratron?

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Yeah, to vaporize rock.

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Vaporize rock?

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Yeah, you heard that right.

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I mean, how does that even work?

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Well, it sounds like science fiction, but it's

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based on some pretty solid science.

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Apparently gyratrons are already used in fusion research.

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They heat plasma to incredibly high temperatures.

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Yeah, millions of degrees.

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Yeah, millions of degrees.

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But Quyze is taking this technology and pointing it, well, down.

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It hit the Earth.

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Yeah.

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So instead of heating plasma, they're heating rock.

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Basically.

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Imagine a super-powered microwave that can melt rock.

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Wow.

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OK, so no more giant drill bits.

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Nope.

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Quyze is saying goodbye to traditional drilling.

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They're melting their way down to those deep, hot zones.

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Interesting.

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And we actually got to see this thing in action.

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You did.

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Yeah, at their facility in Houston.

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They had this demonstration where they just melted rock,

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just like that.

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That must have been something to see.

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It was mind-blowing.

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And they had these samples of the melted rock, too.

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It looks like a city in almost, really cool.

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I can imagine.

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But I'm guessing there are some challenges

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when you're talking about drilling miles into the Earth.

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Oh, absolutely.

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Like, what happens when they hit water?

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Yeah, water's a big one.

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Because it's everywhere underground.

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Yeah.

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Yeah, pretty much.

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And water absorbs those millimeter waves

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that the gyratron emits, which can mess with the whole drilling

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process.

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Right, so it's like trying to microwave something

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that's soaking wet.

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Sort of, yeah.

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But Quyze has come up with a pretty ingenious solution.

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Oh, yeah.

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What is it?

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As they drill, they create this obsidian-like casing.

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Obsidian?

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Yeah, like that melted rock sample you saw.

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The intense heat from the gyratron

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melts the surrounding rock, and it solidifies

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into this glassy sealant.

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So they're basically creating their own pipe as they go.

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Yeah, exactly.

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It's pretty amazing.

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It blocks any water from seeping in.

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It's like nature's plumbing system.

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Yeah, I like that.

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But is all of this enough to make it economically viable?

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You know, we're talking a totally new way

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of drilling at crazy depths.

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Well, that's the million-dollar question.

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But Quyze believes they can produce electricity

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from these deep geothermal wells at a cost that's

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competitive with fossil fuels.

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Really?

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And maybe even cheaper in some cases.

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Cheaper than fossil fuels.

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Yeah.

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That's a bold claim.

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It is bold, for sure.

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But it all comes down to something

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called the levelized cost of electricity, or LCOE.

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LCOE.

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Yeah, it compares the lifetime costs

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of different energy sources.

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OK.

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And because deep geothermal is always on,

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it's a very reliable source of energy,

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Quyze's projections show that it could actually

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beat fossil fuels on price in some places, at least.

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Wow.

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If they can really pull this off,

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we're not just talking about clean energy.

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We're talking about clean energy that's actually

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cheaper than fossil fuels.

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That's the dream, isn't it?

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Yeah.

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But right now, we're still just looking at projections.

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What if these costs skyrocket when they actually

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start drilling in the real world?

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Well, that's the big question mark.

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Those projections are based on models and lab tests.

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Right.

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The real tests will be those upcoming field trials.

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All right.

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So we've got this incredible energy source way down there

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and a potentially revolutionary way to get to it.

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Now it's time to see if Quyze can pull it off.

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And that's what we'll be digging into

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in the next part of our deep dive.

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We'll explore how Quyze got started,

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the journey from the lab to these field trials,

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and what's at stake as they get ready to drill into the unknown.

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It's going to be fascinating to see how this all unfold.

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Definitely.

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Stay tuned.

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So we're back talking about Quyze energy.

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Yeah, it's pretty wild to think that they're

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about to actually test this technology out in the field.

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It is a really big moment for them.

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For them, and maybe for the whole future of geothermal energy.

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Yeah, that's true.

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But before we jump into those field trials,

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I think it's worth taking a look back and seeing

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where this company came from, their origin story.

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It was a pretty interesting one.

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Yeah.

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How did Quyze energy even get started?

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Was it a bunch of friends in a garage,

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or was it some sort of corporate thing?

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It's actually a really fascinating story.

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OK.

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Quyze was founded back in 2018 by these two guys,

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Carlos Araque and Matt Hood.

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OK.

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Araque, the CEO, he has a background

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in energy and infrastructure.

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And then Hood, he's the CTO, and he's a drilling tech expert.

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But the idea that really sparked it all,

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it actually came from an MIT scientist named Paul Wascoff.

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Oh, so it started in a lab.

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That's cool.

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What was he working on?

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Well, Wascoff was at MIT's Plasma Science Infusion Center.

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And he'd been doing these experiments.

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He was using this millimeter wave energy to drill into rock.

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Wait, the same kind of energy that gyrotrons make?

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Exactly.

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And Araque and Hood saw the potential of this for geothermal.

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And so Quyze was born.

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So they took this idea from a fusion research lab

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and applied it to, well, digging holes in the ground.

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Yep, pretty much.

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That's amazing.

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It just goes to show you how fundamental science research

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can lead to these unexpected breakthroughs.

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Totally.

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OK, so they have this really wild idea.

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But how did they go from a lab experiment

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to actually building a drilling system?

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Well, they got some early funding from a venture capital

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firm called the Engine.

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They're affiliated with MIT.

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And they focus on these what they call tough tech startups.

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So that's what they're taking on really hard problems,

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like this one?

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Exactly.

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So that initial investment, it let

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Quyze build a team of engineers and scientists

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to really develop this technology.

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So they got the brains and the money.

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Yeah.

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That's pretty awesome.

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And they really have accomplished a lot

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in a short amount of time.

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Yeah, that's true.

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But they're still a young company compared

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to the big giants in the energy world, right?

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Yeah, that's true.

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So these upcoming field trials, that's really

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where the rubber meets the road.

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Yeah, they're really going to have to prove themselves.

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What exactly are they hoping to show the world with these trials?

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What are the make or break things they need to prove?

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The most important thing is proving

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that their system actually works in the real world,

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not just the lab.

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Right, because they've done the lab tests

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in controlled environments.

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Exactly.

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But drilling through the Earth's crust,

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that's a whole other challenge.

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It is.

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And it's not like they can just dig a practice hole a few miles

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deep just anywhere.

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What are some of the challenges they might face out there?

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Well, for one thing, the rock formations

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are going to be much more varied and complex than they

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are in the lab.

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Different types of rock, different densities,

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they could run into unexpected geological features.

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I'm sure there are a lot of unknowns down there.

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Yeah, they'll need to show that the technology can

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adapt to those unexpected things.

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Right, I bet drilling through solid rock is no easy feat.

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Oh, and remember that obsidian-like casing

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we were talking about?

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Yeah, the melted rock sealant.

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Yeah, that's really going to be put to the test.

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What do you mean?

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Well, if it doesn't hold up and water keeps seeping in,

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that could really mess things up.

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Oh, yeah, that makes sense.

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So these field trials are kind of like a high stakes science

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experiment, in a way.

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Yeah, they really are.

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And what if things don't go according to plan?

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Are they prepared for setbacks?

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I mean, it's bound to happen, right?

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Well, every new technology has its hiccups, right?

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That's true.

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What matters is how they learn from those setbacks.

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Yeah.

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The data they gather, it'll either

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validate their approach or reveal where

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they need to adjust things.

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Right, it's all part of the process.

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It is.

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I bet the whole world will be watching to see how it goes.

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I think so.

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The sticks are high.

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If they are successful, what kind of impact could this have?

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I mean, this is a whole new way of accessing

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geothermal energy.

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The implications are huge.

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It could open up vast new areas for geothermal development.

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Wow.

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Places that were off limits because they were too deep

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or too difficult to drill with traditional methods.

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Some more clean energy potentially in places

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that haven't had access to it before?

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Exactly.

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It's amazing.

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And don't forget about the possibility

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of retrofitting existing power plants.

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Oh, right, like taking old coal or gas-fired power plants

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and converting them to geothermal.

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Yeah, giving them a new lease on life as clean energy producers.

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That would be a major win.

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It would be a huge step forward in the fight

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against climate change.

274
00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:47,920
Absolutely.

275
00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:52,440
But I'm also curious about the broader implications.

276
00:08:52,440 --> 00:08:56,160
How could this change the current energy landscape?

277
00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:58,840
I mean, we're so reliant on fossil fuels right now,

278
00:08:58,840 --> 00:09:00,920
it's hard to imagine a world without them.

279
00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:05,320
It is, but if deep geothermal becomes widely available

280
00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:08,680
and cost competitive, it could really shake things up.

281
00:09:08,680 --> 00:09:11,960
So you're saying it could even challenge solar and wind,

282
00:09:11,960 --> 00:09:13,640
but those are already growing so quickly.

283
00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:14,760
Aren't they already on the rise?

284
00:09:14,760 --> 00:09:15,200
They are.

285
00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:15,760
They are.

286
00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:17,160
And they'll still play a big role.

287
00:09:17,160 --> 00:09:18,520
But you have to remember geothermal

288
00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:21,000
has one big advantage over them.

289
00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:23,160
It's a baseload power source.

290
00:09:23,160 --> 00:09:24,200
Right, it's always on.

291
00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:28,800
24-7, unlike solar and wind, which depend on, well,

292
00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:29,400
the weather.

293
00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:32,320
It provides that steady, reliable flow of energy

294
00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:33,320
that our grid needs.

295
00:09:33,320 --> 00:09:34,080
Exactly.

296
00:09:34,080 --> 00:09:35,840
So are you saying it's like nuclear power?

297
00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:36,880
Sort of, yeah.

298
00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:38,840
Nuclear also provides baseload power,

299
00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:41,040
but geothermal doesn't come with the same risks.

300
00:09:41,040 --> 00:09:43,600
Like the risk of accidents or the whole problem

301
00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:44,680
of radioactive waste?

302
00:09:44,680 --> 00:09:46,000
Yeah, exactly.

303
00:09:46,000 --> 00:09:48,200
So it sounds like deep geothermal could really

304
00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:50,680
be that missing piece of the puzzle

305
00:09:50,680 --> 00:09:53,080
in this whole energy transition thing,

306
00:09:53,080 --> 00:09:54,640
moving towards a cleaner future.

307
00:09:54,640 --> 00:09:55,520
It could be.

308
00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:58,560
But even with all the potential benefits, I have to ask,

309
00:09:58,560 --> 00:10:00,440
what are the potential downsides?

310
00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:02,560
I mean, there's no such thing as a free lunch, right?

311
00:10:02,560 --> 00:10:03,040
You're right.

312
00:10:03,040 --> 00:10:05,480
And that's something we need to explore carefully.

313
00:10:05,480 --> 00:10:08,640
Every new technology, it comes with its own set

314
00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:10,560
of risks and challenges.

315
00:10:10,560 --> 00:10:12,240
And in the final part of our deep dive,

316
00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:14,560
we're going to get into the potential downsides

317
00:10:14,560 --> 00:10:16,160
of deep geothermal.

318
00:10:16,160 --> 00:10:17,920
OK, can't wait.

319
00:10:17,920 --> 00:10:20,560
So we've been talking about all the potential benefits

320
00:10:20,560 --> 00:10:23,040
of Quise's approach to geothermal.

321
00:10:23,040 --> 00:10:25,480
But now it's time to flip the script

322
00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:27,240
and talk about the potential downsides.

323
00:10:27,240 --> 00:10:27,560
Right.

324
00:10:27,560 --> 00:10:29,040
We've got to look at both sides of the coin.

325
00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:29,840
Yeah.

326
00:10:29,840 --> 00:10:31,680
What are some of the environmental impacts

327
00:10:31,680 --> 00:10:33,360
we need to think about when we're

328
00:10:33,360 --> 00:10:35,880
talking about drilling miles down into the earth?

329
00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:39,720
Well, one thing that often comes up is induced seismicity.

330
00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:40,920
Induced what now?

331
00:10:40,920 --> 00:10:42,920
It's a fancy way of saying earthquakes.

332
00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:43,680
Earthquakes.

333
00:10:43,680 --> 00:10:44,180
Yeah.

334
00:10:44,180 --> 00:10:46,720
But earthquakes that are triggered by human activity.

335
00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:47,400
Oh, OK.

336
00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:49,880
So we're talking about man-made earthquakes.

337
00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:50,560
Basically.

338
00:10:50,560 --> 00:10:53,200
So how big of a risk are we talking about here?

339
00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:55,880
Are we talking like those disaster movies

340
00:10:55,880 --> 00:10:58,600
where drilling causes these massive earthquakes?

341
00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:00,920
Thankfully, it's usually not that dramatic.

342
00:11:00,920 --> 00:11:03,240
The earthquakes caused by geothermal operations

343
00:11:03,240 --> 00:11:06,120
are usually much smaller than the ones you see in movies.

344
00:11:06,120 --> 00:11:07,560
OK, a few.

345
00:11:07,560 --> 00:11:09,600
But any earthquake is not ideal.

346
00:11:09,600 --> 00:11:10,200
Yeah.

347
00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:12,000
What can they do to lower the risk?

348
00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:13,720
Careful planning is key.

349
00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:14,200
OK.

350
00:11:14,200 --> 00:11:17,400
They have to do these really thorough geological surveys

351
00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:20,560
to pick spots with low seismic activity

352
00:11:20,560 --> 00:11:22,240
and avoid any fault lines.

353
00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:23,200
Yeah, that makes sense.

354
00:11:23,200 --> 00:11:25,440
And then during the actual drilling,

355
00:11:25,440 --> 00:11:27,760
they monitor everything super closely

356
00:11:27,760 --> 00:11:29,640
for any signs of seismic activity.

357
00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:31,120
So they're taking this seriously?

358
00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:31,720
Yeah.

359
00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:33,320
Are there any other environmental things

360
00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:34,720
we should be thinking about?

361
00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:38,480
Well, another potential issue is the release of gases

362
00:11:38,480 --> 00:11:39,320
during drilling.

363
00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:40,120
Gases.

364
00:11:40,120 --> 00:11:41,640
Like what kind of gases?

365
00:11:41,640 --> 00:11:44,640
Deep underground, you can find these pockets of gases

366
00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:46,280
like hydrogen sulfide.

367
00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:47,560
Is that the rotten egg smell?

368
00:11:47,560 --> 00:11:48,560
Yeah, that's the one.

369
00:11:48,560 --> 00:11:50,000
It can be toxic, too.

370
00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:50,600
Not good.

371
00:11:50,600 --> 00:11:54,960
But the good news is these gas releases can be managed.

372
00:11:54,960 --> 00:11:56,960
They can capture and treat the gases

373
00:11:56,960 --> 00:12:00,040
as they come up to minimize any environmental impact.

374
00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:01,560
So they're not just letting it all escape

375
00:12:01,560 --> 00:12:02,400
into the atmosphere?

376
00:12:02,400 --> 00:12:03,480
No, definitely not.

377
00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:05,240
What about water usage?

378
00:12:05,240 --> 00:12:07,480
I've always heard that geothermal energy

379
00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:09,040
needs a lot of water.

380
00:12:09,040 --> 00:12:11,000
That's a common misconception.

381
00:12:11,000 --> 00:12:13,720
Quasar's system is designed to be a closed loop.

382
00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:14,400
Closed loop?

383
00:12:14,400 --> 00:12:15,080
What's that?

384
00:12:15,080 --> 00:12:18,320
The water circulates within the system and gets reused.

385
00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:21,640
They're not drawing tons of water from the environment.

386
00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:23,320
So no big water guzzling plants?

387
00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:24,280
Yep, nope.

388
00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:24,840
OK, that's good.

389
00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:27,360
Water conservation is a big part of their approach.

390
00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:29,040
OK, so let's talk money.

391
00:12:29,040 --> 00:12:32,280
We've talked about the potential for deep geothermal

392
00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:33,960
to be cost competitive.

393
00:12:33,960 --> 00:12:36,560
But what are the economic risks?

394
00:12:36,560 --> 00:12:40,720
Well, one of the big unknowns is the actual drilling cost.

395
00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:42,560
Yeah, the projections look good on paper.

396
00:12:42,560 --> 00:12:43,040
Right.

397
00:12:43,040 --> 00:12:45,240
But once they start drilling in the real world,

398
00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:47,720
they could run into all sorts of unexpected things that

399
00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:49,320
could make it more expensive.

400
00:12:49,320 --> 00:12:52,000
OK, so those field trials are going to be super important.

401
00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:52,560
Absolutely.

402
00:12:52,560 --> 00:12:54,960
But that's where they'll get a real sense of the costs.

403
00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:56,880
And what happens if those trials show

404
00:12:56,880 --> 00:12:58,760
that it's way more expensive than they thought?

405
00:12:58,760 --> 00:12:59,960
What's their plan B?

406
00:12:59,960 --> 00:13:02,160
It depends how much more expensive we're talking.

407
00:13:02,160 --> 00:13:04,240
They might have to tweak the technology,

408
00:13:04,240 --> 00:13:06,920
make the drilling process more efficient,

409
00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:08,840
maybe even look for more funding.

410
00:13:08,840 --> 00:13:09,920
A lot of moving parts.

411
00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:11,080
Definitely.

412
00:13:11,080 --> 00:13:14,680
Are there any other economic roadblocks they might hit?

413
00:13:14,680 --> 00:13:17,560
Well, regulations could be a factor.

414
00:13:17,560 --> 00:13:20,800
Getting permits and approvals for geothermal projects

415
00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:21,880
can be tricky.

416
00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:22,480
Right.

417
00:13:22,480 --> 00:13:23,840
Every country has different rules.

418
00:13:23,840 --> 00:13:24,480
Exactly.

419
00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:25,960
So even if the technology works, they

420
00:13:25,960 --> 00:13:27,320
might get stuck into bureaucracy.

421
00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:28,160
That's possible.

422
00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:29,480
And then there's public perception.

423
00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:30,120
Right.

424
00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:32,640
People might be wary of this new technology.

425
00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:33,880
That's a good point.

426
00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:36,600
They'll need to be really transparent and address

427
00:13:36,600 --> 00:13:39,400
any concerns people have to build trust.

428
00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:41,680
Show that deep geothermal can be done safely.

429
00:13:41,680 --> 00:13:42,200
Exactly.

430
00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:43,560
So it's not just about the science.

431
00:13:43,560 --> 00:13:45,480
It's about the social and political stuff, too.

432
00:13:45,480 --> 00:13:47,240
It's the whole picture.

433
00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:49,840
But if Quasi could figure all of this out,

434
00:13:49,840 --> 00:13:51,480
they could really change the energy game.

435
00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:52,360
No doubt about it.

436
00:13:52,360 --> 00:13:55,160
Deep geothermal has enormous potential.

437
00:13:55,160 --> 00:13:57,440
Well, we've explored the incredible potential

438
00:13:57,440 --> 00:13:59,120
of Quasi's approach.

439
00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:01,320
And we've talked about the risks and challenges, too.

440
00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:03,680
It's been a really interesting deep dive, for sure.

441
00:14:03,680 --> 00:14:04,560
Yeah, it has.

442
00:14:04,560 --> 00:14:08,200
It shows us that the transition to clean energy won't be easy.

443
00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:10,960
But companies like Quasi are leading the way.

444
00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:12,040
They're pushing the boundaries.

445
00:14:12,040 --> 00:14:13,280
They're taking risks.

446
00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:14,440
And that's what we need to see.

447
00:14:14,440 --> 00:14:15,160
Absolutely.

448
00:14:15,160 --> 00:14:18,200
We've talked about the science, the potential, the challenges.

449
00:14:18,200 --> 00:14:21,040
And now as Quasi gets ready for those field trials,

450
00:14:21,040 --> 00:14:22,680
the world is watching.

451
00:14:22,680 --> 00:14:25,080
Will their vision become reality?

452
00:14:25,080 --> 00:14:26,520
Only time will tell.

453
00:14:26,520 --> 00:14:28,440
But it's definitely a story worth following.

454
00:14:28,440 --> 00:14:29,120
It is.

455
00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:31,560
And it makes you think, if they're successful,

456
00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:32,960
how will it change our world?

457
00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:36,040
How will it change how we get our energy, our economies,

458
00:14:36,040 --> 00:14:38,040
our relationship with the planet?

459
00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:39,360
Something to think about, isn't it?

460
00:14:39,360 --> 00:14:40,360
It is.

461
00:14:40,360 --> 00:14:43,040
And that wraps up our deep dive into Quasi energy

462
00:14:43,040 --> 00:14:44,800
in the future of geothermal.

463
00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:45,760
Thanks for joining us.

464
00:14:45,760 --> 00:14:51,400
And as always, keep those minds curious.