Mastodawn

If the first solar entrepreneur hadn't been kidnapped, would fossil fuels have dominated the 20th century the way they did? "The condition for his release required forgoing his solar patent and shutting down the company. Cove refused..." 1905! Wow. https://theconversation.com/if-the-first-solar-entrepreneur-hadnt-been-kidnapped-would-fossil-fuels-have-dominated-the-20th-century-the-way-they-did-215300

If the first solar entrepreneur hadn’t been kidnapped, would fossil fuels have dominated the 20th century the way they did?

The 1909 incident may have cost the industry decades of progress – and the planet huge amounts of damaging carbon emissions.

The Conversation

Incident Creator ❎Oct 17, 2023

@kottke Interesting footnote there is that his solar panels didn't work the way he was attempting to do it. He was trying to create a thermoelectric generator, but the terminals he used to connect his thermal junctions together accidentally created a solar cell. It took decades to figure out. The kidnapping part has its own obscure nuances: it is possible (according to the police) that this was a hoax involving a stocks scam. https://www.resilience.org/stories/2021-10-21/how-to-build-a-low-tech-solar-panel/