Experimental Nuclear Fusion Reactor Proves Limitless, Clean Power Is Possible
Curbing climate change means finding a near-limitless, zero-carbon power source. To do that scientists have often turned to nuclear fusion—the process of fusing two or more atoms together, which releases massive amounts of energy (and is also the process that makes the sun and stars shine). But while scientists have been able to generate this energy before, they haven’t been able to sustain it for long—until now. Today, scientists near Oxford announced that they succeeded in generating 59 megajoules of sustained fusion energy over five seconds in a doughnut-shaped machine called the JET (Joint European Torus), doubling the previous record for sustained fusion energy. While scientists still have a long way to go when it comes to implementing nuclear fusion, the new record is a major breakthrough that confirms clean energy is possible. Learn more about it at CNN.
Image courtesy of EUROFusion/CNN
Via cnn.com link opens in a new window
