Let’s talk about power. Some of us are sure we have it. Others are sure they don’t. Mass marketing shouts at us to go find our power. (Usually by buying a new car.)

But what is power really? Is power fame, prestige, money and titles? Power actually has its beginning in physics with a defined mathematical formula that has nothing to do with subjective words like image, appearance or presence. Power is simply work over time. That’s all.

How did we all get so far away from this beautiful simple formula that yields precise results to a world of gray power imbalances that divide? In the world of material science work (all work) has value.

Power is most often cited as the root cause of social inequalities. Power inequality if fueling the #metoo movement, racial tensions, reparations talks, and most of today’s headlines. Special needs people are thought of as “powerless” and indeed Iceland has eradicated its Down Syndrome population. But if all work creates power, then all of us have power. How could “power” be so “powerful”? Surely such an elegant concept has been misunderstood.

I’ll be writing and researching power as understood in the material science world and exploring ways to apply the real meaning of power to people.