What if we could power the world the same way the sun does? No carbon, no meltdown risks – just clean energy from smashing atoms together.

In this episode, I sit down with Søren Bang Korsholm, Senior Scientist at the Technical University of Denmark, to talk about fusion energy. You’ve probably heard it called the “holy grail” of power, but—weird metaphors aside—what does that actually mean? And are we any closer to making it work outside a lab?

We cover how a tiny bit of fusion fuel could keep your lights on for a lifetime, why plasma is such a pain to control, and whether this whole thing is still sci-fi or finally getting real.
If you like science, big ideas, or just want your energy bill to stop looking like your rent, give it a listen.

In this episode, you'll learn about:
1. Discover why fusion energy could provide unlimited, clean energy.
2. Understand the fundamental nuclear process behind fusion energy.
3. Learn how fusion energy mimics the sun’s power production.
4. Hear how magnetic and inertial methods can contain fusion reactions.
5. Explore the historical journey from fission to fusion research.
6. Find out how fusion might transform the global energy landscape soon.

Episode Content
00:17 Introduction to fusion energy with Mikkel Svold  
01:21 Why is fusion energy a big idea?  
02:11 The potential of unlimited energy sources  
03:06 Comparison of fusion energy to coal energy  
04:33 Understanding the basic processes of fusion  
05:28 How do fusion reactions actually work?  
09:03 What fuels are commonly used in fusion?  
12:47 Evolution of fusion research and technology  
20:54 Magnetic confinement fusion vs. inertial confinement fusion  
31:30 The role of the private sector in fusion development

This podcast is produced by Montanus, https://montanus.co

In this episode—which is also going to be the last episode of this season—we'll try to understand artificial intelligence, or AI. I want to know what we can expect from AI, why we should care, and why it’s a big idea.

Now, to understand the intricacies of artificial intelligence and where it’s going, I’ve once again invited the very knowledgeable Thomas Schmidt into the studio.

Thomas is the founder and Managing Director of Schmidt Innovation, an engineering company specialised in automation, mathematical modelling, software architecture, and of course, innovation.

Producing this podcast is Montanus – a company where we specialize in producing high quality content for marketing department in engineering and knowledge driven companies.

Learn more about Montanus here: www.montanus.co

Find the Shownotes here: www.montanus.co/bigideasonly/

In this episode, we’ll try to understand nuclear power, why it’s complex, and why it’s worth knowing something about. It’s gonna be super exciting!

To understand the intricacies of nuclear power, its history, and where it’s going, we've invited the very knowledgeable Thomas Schmidt into the studio.

Thomas is the founder and Managing Director of Schmidt Innovation, an engineering company specialised in automation, mathematical modelling, software architecture, AI, and, of course, innovation.

Notably, Thomas has a Masters’ degree in energy engineering with a specialisation in mechatronics control. What this means is that Thomas has broad knowledge across mechanics, electronics, programming, and product development.

Behind this podcast is Montanus – a company where we specialize in producing high quality content for marketing department in engineering and knowledge driven companies. Find out more about Montanus at www.montanus.co.

Also, check out the shownotes at www.montanus.co/bigideasonly/

Today’s episode is a continuation of the last episode focusing on the world of virtual and augmented reality. However, in today’s talk we will dive into the possibilities augmented and virtual reality holds alongside all its shortcomings in today’s day and age. Because is virtual reality becoming as mainstream as one might believe?

To enlighten us on the topic, the founders and partners of the VR and AR studio PieLab;
Tomas Utaravičius and Filip Aničić have come to our rescue.

Your host is Mikkel Svold, CEO of Montanus, who will guide you through this interesting topic.

Find out more about PieLab here: https://pielab.dk
This podcast is produced by Montanus, https://montanus.co

In today’s episode we'll focus on the funky world of virtual and augmented reality. Is it fad or the future? And if the latter, in what ways are we going to use it?

To explain these futuristic phenomena, the founders and partners of the VR and AR studio PieLab; Tomas Utaravičius and Filip Aničić have come to our rescue.

Your host is Mikkel Svold, CEO of Montanus, who will guide you through this interesting topic.

Check out PieLab here: http://pielab.dk
This podcast is produced by Montanus, https://montanus.co

In today’s episode we will look at Web3. What is it and how is it different from web1 and web2?

These questions and more will be answered by our guest is Rasmus Risager Lindegaard, product manager at the Grow Colony at Lunar bank. Rasmus will explain this interesting new phenomenon, while covering what decentralized finance is and its connection to web3.

Your host is Mikkel Svold, CEO of Montanus, who will guide you through this interesting topic.

This podcast is produced by Montanus. http://www.montanus.co

In today’s episode we will look at cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ether. What are they, how are they different from each other, and why is it important to know about?

Our guest is Rasmus Risager Lindegaard, product manager at the Grow Colony at Lunar bank. Rasmus is specialized in anything that can make money grow in value, and therefore, Rasmus is also an expert in understanding the value cryptocurrencies hold.

Your host is Mikkel Svold, CEO of Montanus, who will guide you through this interesting topic.

This podcast is produced by Montanus. http://www.montanus.co

Is the future of food plant-based?

Today’s episode is a continuation of episode 7, where we once again will look at solutions for continuing to feed the worlds’ rising population, but more specifically a look at our future diets.

Our guest is Lars Horsholt Jensen, Chief Operating Officer at Food & Bio Cluster in Denmark. Food & Bio Cluster is a cluster gathering all the food and bio resources in Denmark into one network, driving to support company innovation. Lars will guide us through what the future of food looks like touching upon the topics plant-based, reactive, and genetically modified foods.

Your host is Mikkel Svold, CEO of Montanus, who will guide you through this interesting topic.

This podcast is produced by Montanus. http://www.montanus.co

Are we facing a second agriculture revolution?

In this episode of Big Ideas Only we will look at solutions for continuing to feed the worlds’ rising population.

Today, our guest is Lars Horsholt Jensen, Chief Operating Officer at Food & Bio Cluster in Denmark. Food & Bio Cluster is a cluster gathering all the food and bio resources in Denmark into one network, driving to support company innovation. Lars will guide us through innovative ways to create more food and explain why the solution is not to maximize farmland yields.

Your host is Mikkel Svold, CEO of Montanus, who will guide you through this interesting topic.

This podcast is produced by Montanus. http://www.montanus.co

In this episode of Big Ideas Only, we’ll look at the tools that allow us to explore the Universe. As well as talking about Telescopes, Satellites, and probes we’ll try to understand what it is these tools can tell us about our past and future.

Today, our guest is Mads Fredslund Andersen, Telescope and Satellite Manager at Aarhus University, and he’ll answer all our burning questions.

Your host is Mikkel Svold, CEO of Montanus, who will guide you through this interesting topic.

This podcast is produced by Montanus. http://www.montanus.co