This is a science podcast for January 24, 2025.

I'm Sarah Crespi.

First this week, while long touted as a green fuel,

the traditional approach to hydrogen production is not very sustainable.

Staff writer Robert Service joins producer Megan Cantwell to discuss how

researchers are improving electrolyzers. These are devices that split water into

hydrogen and oxygen. They're looking at more efficient and durable designs. Next

researcher Robert Rogers talks with me about the idea of hypoxia as medicine. While effective in certain mouse

disease models, the big question is whether reduced chronic oxygen could help people with

certain serious conditions like mitochondrial defects or brain inflammation. We discuss what's known

so far about this potential treatment and the challenges of delivering low levels of oxygen

around the clock.

A question that reporters at science have been following year in and year out is how do we power

the world without actually harming it? A couple of weeks ago, Sarah had staff writer Dan Cleary

come on to talk about

progress and fusion energy. And this week, we're turning to another source of energy, which is

hydrogen gas. This week, staff writer Bob Service wrote about new technologies aiming to make

green hydrogen a reality. Thank you so much for joining me, Bob. Happy to be here. So I guess when I think of

hydrogen as a fuel source, I mainly think of like jet fuel,

maybe buses here and there.

But when I read your piece, I was surprised to learn, it's actually used in a few different

industries.

...