Converting Moonlight into Electrical Energy

There are no laws of science that you can’t convert moonlight into electrical energy, though there is a set of laws (called physics) that will render this incredibly unproductive.  The moon produces a very small amount of power per square meter, around 0.0034 watts.  This is approximately 300,00 times less than sunlight, which can reach 1,000 watts per square meter.

I think the average 10-year-old child, and probably 99% of high school students understand this intuitively.  If I were interviewing a young person and trying to coax them along, I might proceed as follows:

Craig: When you go the the beach, what do you rub on your exposed skin?

Kid: Sun screen.

Craig: Why?

Kid: Otherwise you’ll get a sunburn.

Craig: Right. Do you know why?

Kid: The sun’s energy somehow “cooks” our skin.

Craig: Exactly.  Now, what about the moon?  If you were playing on the beach at night, would you be worried about getting a “moonburn?”

Kid: I don’t think so.

Craig: Why not?

Kid: The moon is just a piece of rock that reflects a tiny bit of the sun’s light.

Craig:  That’s great!  You can think!  Be grateful.  Many Americans have lost their ability to use their minds.  You haven’t.  That’s terrific.