These basics are well understood, and researchers are confident that it’s possible to harness it in a useful way, but so far, it’s been elusive. So there’s an enormous multiplier for matter that’s converted into energy, making fusion an extraordinarily powerful reaction. The last part of the formula is “c,” a constant that measures the speed of light - 300,000 kilometers per second, which is then squared. “E” stands for energy and “m” stands for mass. That tiny bit of lost matter is converted into energy according to Albert Einstein’s famous formula, E = mc 2. The reason that fusion generates so much energy is that the new element weighs a smidgen less than the sum of its parts.
The most common form is two hydrogen atoms fusing to create helium. It’s what happens when the nuclei of small atoms stick together, fusing to create a new element and releasing energy. These reactions powered the very first atomic bombs, and today they power conventional nuclear reactors.įusion is even more potent. Nuclear fission is what happens when big atoms like uranium and plutonium split apart and release energy.
Fusion is way more powerful than any other energy source we have Researchers say they are closer than ever. With some of the most powerful machines ever built, scientists are trying to refine delicate, subatomic mechanics to achieve a pivotal milestone: getting more energy out of a fusion reaction than they put in. And they make the case for not only continuing fusion research, but aggressively expanding and investing in it - even if it won’t light up the power grid anytime soon. They talk about their recent progress and why fusion energy remains such a challenge. The latest episode of Unexplainable, Vox’s podcast about unsolved mysteries in science, asks scientists about their decades-long pursuit of a star in a bottle. But despite its promise, fusion is often treated as a scientific curiosity rather than a must-try moonshot - an actual, world-changing solution to a massive problem. With global average temperatures rising and energy demands growing, the quest for fusion is timelier than ever: It could help solve both these problems at the same time. It would produce no greenhouse gases and minimal waste compared to conventional energy sources.
#NUCLEAR FUSION VS FISSION COST TORRENT#
It’s a technology that could safely provide an immense and steady torrent of electricity, harnessing abundant fuel made from seawater to ignite the same reaction that powers the sun. Still, the enormous potential of fusion makes it hard to ignore. Yet almost every time researchers make an advance, the goal posts seem to recede even farther in the distance. Scientists have been studying the physics of fusion for a century and working to harness the process for decades. To build a fusion reactor is essentially to create an artificial star. Fusion energy is perhaps the longest of long shots.
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