Nuclear Fusion

Towards the end of 2022, headlines declared a new breakthrough in nuclear fusion experiments: for the first time ever, scientists were able to get more energy from a fusion reaction than they put in. Like nuclear fission, nuclear fusion does not produce any carbon emissions during the energy production process, so it has potential as a player in clean energy down the road. But, how far down the road? And is the possibility of fusion worth diverting time and resources away from other clean energy technologies w have right now? Sara and Casey discuss the history of nuclear fusion research, what really happened in this latest breakthrough, and what's next for the future of fusion.  Resources for this episode: What is ITER? ITER: What is Fusion? Nature: Nuclear fusion lab achieves 'ignition.' What does it mean? CNBC: Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough Investors Have Now Spent $5 Billion Pursuing the "Holy Grail of Energy" BBC Science Focus: Why the Promise of Nuclear Fusion is No Longer a Pipe Dream IAEA: Magnetic Fusion Confinement with Tokamaks and Stellarators