Introduction: Cheering the lone runner -- More bang for the buck?: A quicker path to nuclear fusion -- Out of this world: beaming solar power from space -- A new spin on energy: turning waste heat into tornado power -- Copying nature's playbook: capturing efficiency through biomimicry -- Not your average pond scum: making fuel refineries out of algae -- Secrecy in Cedar Park: raising the bar on energy storage -- Searching for miracles: changing the world with an open mind -- Conclusion: Reasons to hope.