Why ‘Summarize’ When You can ‘Abridge’?

Use an ‘Abridge’ Prompt to Keep the Author’s Voice

You already know you can use AI to summarize articles. But have you ever ‘abridged’ an article? I think it reads better than a summary. In another post I mentioned Packy McCormick’s “editor” prompt, and it just so happens Packy does some really long posts, so I went back to his site to run the summary/abridged comparison prompt.

I used the Radiant — Nuclear Power for Earth, Then for Mars post.

Here’s how to do it:

First, I’ll show you the summarize results.

Prompt: Summarize this article:

The article chronicles Doug Bernauer’s journey from SpaceX to founding Radiant, a company aiming to build nuclear reactors for use on Mars and Earth. Radiant’s mission began when Doug realized that nuclear power would be necessary to refuel rockets on Mars, given the inefficiency of solar panels for this task. After extensive research, Doug left SpaceX in 2019 to establish Radiant and design a 1MW high-temperature gas-cooled reactor. Radiant’s reactor, called Kaleidos, is being developed for remote, off-grid locations on Earth, such as military bases, to replace diesel generators.

Radiant is racing to test the reactor at Idaho National Laboratory’s DOME facility by 2026, which would be the first nuclear test in 50 years. Success at the DOME could allow Radiant to mass-produce these reactors, marking a major shift in the energy sector by providing decentralized, clean nuclear power.

The ultimate vision is to scale this technology, making nuclear power practical on Earth and eventually sending it to Mars to support colonization efforts. This mission aligns with Elon Musk’s goal of making humanity multiplanetary, with nuclear power being crucial to sustaining life on Mars.

Not bad. It get’s the job done. But sometimes you want a little more. Maybe you want a tad bit longer text, or to keep the author’s voice over a robotic summary?

I came up with an ‘Abridged’ prompt. It’s sort of like when you don’t want to read or listen to an entire book, so you buy the abridged version. (Do they still do that anymore?)

Prompt: Abridge this article. Understand the core elements and remove redundant sections, cut non-essential content and condense descriptions or stories, maintain the author’s voice and revise for clarity:

Last year, while hosting Age of Miracles, we interviewed several founders of nuclear startups. However, Radiant’s Doug Bernauer declined because they were racing towards a 2026 deadline. Respectfully, they had no time for public appearances. But, earlier this year, I met Doug and the Radiant team in LA, and learned firsthand why Radiant exists — because Mars needs nuclear.

Doug, a SpaceX veteran, helped uncover the existential problem of how to refuel Starship on Mars without human intervention. The solution required a power source far beyond what solar could provide. That’s when nuclear became the answer. After realizing the potential of nuclear power to meet SpaceX’s Mars objectives, Doug left SpaceX to build Radiant, focusing on small nuclear reactors.

Radiant’s core mission is to build compact, mobile nuclear reactors — starting with Earth but ultimately aiming for Mars. Their 1 MW reactor, Kaleidos, is designed to replace diesel generators in remote locations and military settings, offering clean, efficient, and reliable power.

Radiant has been navigating regulatory challenges and securing key partnerships. Their reactor design uses advanced TRISO fuel and a helium-cooled system, offering passive safety features. With a clear path to testing at Idaho National Laboratory’s DOME facility in 2026, Radiant is well on its way to commercializing its reactors for Earth and potentially paving the way for Mars.

The broader goal is to mass-produce nuclear reactors, making them as easy to deploy as renting a car or a generator. The company has made significant strides, raising funds and securing contracts with the Department of Defense and other key partners. Radiant’s journey is about much more than technology; it’s about building the future of energy on Earth and beyond, with Mars as the ultimate frontier.

That turned out to be pretty short and quite similar to a summary, but sort of kept the author’s voice.

If you want something a little longer, tweak the prompt to use a minimum of 500 words.

Here’s the results of the prompt tweak:

Last year, while hosting Age of Miracles, we had the opportunity to speak with many founders of nuclear startups. However, one founder declined our interview request: Doug Bernauer of Radiant. At the time, Radiant was fully focused on meeting an ambitious 2026 deadline, so public appearances weren’t a priority. That level of commitment was understandable and admirable.

Earlier this year, during a trip to Los Angeles, I had the chance to visit Radiant’s headquarters in El Segundo. It was there that I first met Doug and his team and got a glimpse of what they were building. Doug explained his motivation for starting Radiant: Mars needs nuclear power. This was the moment I realized I had to write about Radiant and their ambitious goals.

Doug is no stranger to big challenges. Before founding Radiant, he spent 11 years at SpaceX, working on everything from space lasers to mining locomotives. His involvement in SpaceX’s “Mars Colonizer” meetings helped him uncover a major problem for Martian colonization: refueling Starship on Mars. The solution — producing methane fuel by processing water and carbon dioxide — requires a massive amount of power, far more than solar panels could reasonably provide. That’s when nuclear energy became the clear answer.

Doug’s journey to building nuclear reactors began when Elon Musk first mentioned nuclear power during a SpaceX meeting. SpaceX didn’t have a nuclear division, but Doug took it upon himself to study the possibilities. His work quickly revealed that nuclear power had significant advantages over solar for Mars missions. Eventually, Doug realized that nuclear reactors were the key to making Martian colonization a reality.

With that realization, Doug made a bold decision: he left SpaceX to found Radiant, a company focused on developing small nuclear reactors. Radiant’s flagship reactor, Kaleidos, is designed to generate 1 MW of power — enough to replace diesel generators used in remote locations, such as military bases and mining sites. The reactor is compact, mobile, and can operate for five years without refueling, making it ideal for settings where reliable power is hard to come by.

Radiant’s mission goes beyond building nuclear reactors for Earth. The ultimate goal is to develop reactors for use on Mars. However, building reactors for space starts with proving the technology works on Earth. To that end, Radiant is racing toward a crucial milestone: testing their reactor at Idaho National Laboratory’s DOME facility in 2026. This will be the first fueled test of a new nuclear reactor in 50 years, and Radiant is aiming to be the first company to reach this critical step.

Getting to the DOME is no small feat. Radiant has been diligently working through regulatory hurdles, raising funds, and securing partnerships. They recently raised $45 million in a Series B funding round and have contracts with the Department of Defense. The company has also partnered with Idaho Strategic Resources and Amsted Graphite Materials, securing key suppliers for its reactor components.

Radiant’s Kaleidos reactor uses advanced TRISO fuel, which is meltdown-proof, and a helium-cooled system that ensures safety in extreme conditions. The reactor’s design emphasizes passive safety features, meaning it can shut down on its own without human intervention if needed. These features are crucial for both Earth-based applications and potential use in space.

Doug’s vision for Radiant doesn’t stop with building reactors; he envisions mass-producing them, making nuclear power as accessible as renting a car or a generator. This approach could revolutionize the energy landscape, especially in remote locations where grid access is limited.

Radiant is not just about solving today’s energy challenges — it’s about preparing for humanity’s future on Mars. With their eyes set on a 2026 reactor test and an eventual mission to Mars, Doug and his team are working to make nuclear power a cornerstone of both Earth’s energy solutions and humanity’s interplanetary ambitions.

This runs about half of the original article, but ‘abridging’ reads better than a simple summary. Let me know what you think in the comments. Peace out…