from POWER POINT, winner of the 2025 National Press Women Communications Prize
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Inspired by an online video about thermal energy per unit volume, this poem celebrates human radiance and desire for love and knowledge. It was nominated for Best of the Net and first published by Cathexis Northwest Press.
From POWER POINT (Sheila-Na-Gig Editions, 2024).
The physics behind the poem — energy density per unit volume, and how human radiance compares to objects across the cosmos.
Data: Minute Physics; standard solar model; NIH/WHO human metabolic data.
Thermal Energy Output — Per Cup (~237 mL) of Volume
A resting adult produces ~80 W in ~57 L of body volume: 80 W ÷ 57 L × 0.237 L/cup ≈ 333 mW/cup ≈ 350 mW. The Sun’s core averages 276 W/m³ × 0.000237 m³/cup ≈ 65 mW/cup ≈ 60 mW.
Energy Density — Power per Liter of Volume (Sun’s Core = 1× baseline)
Log scale. A resting human produces ~6× the thermal energy per unit volume as the Sun’s core.
Total Power Output — Watts (Log Scale)
The Sun’s total luminosity is 3.8 × 10²&sup6; W — roughly 4.75 septillion times a resting human’s 80 W. Sheer size wins. But per cup? You do.
