During my college search, I recently read about an intriguing cross-disciplinary course at Bowdoin College entitled the “The Physics and Economics of Energy” which will be co-taught there this spring by physicist Mark Battle and economist Guillermo Herrera. This course examines the physical principles, economic aspects, and environmental ramifications of every widespread energy source. Humanity’s utilization of energy continues to fascinate me because it is responsible for many of our most profound achievements and our fiercest challenges. Fossil fuels have powered innovation since the Industrial Revolution, enabling inventions from the earliest steam engines to the most complex space ships exploring the cosmos. Yet the extraction of these energy sources has fueled (pun intended) conflict between nations continuously competing for oil reserves and created the CO2 crises currently threatening our planet’s many ecosystems. Nuclear fission can power cities or level them. Coal built modern civilization while poisoning our atmosphere. I wish more students had access to courses like this one that compare the cost and impact of fossil fuels with alternative forms of energy such as solar, hydropower, wind, and nuclear within the context of market opportunity and government policy.  I am looking forward to advancing my understanding as an undergraduate of these topics through courses like this.