Miniature Stars on Earth: The Promise of Nuclear Fusion
What’s better than staring up at the stars on a clear night and pondering the universe?
Making stars here on Earth, that’s what.
Just ask wonder boy nuclear physicist, Taylor Wilson, who created nuclear fusion in his garage at age 14.
If you’d like a 4 minute refresher on what nuclear fusion is (it powers the sun), watch this video.
Not to be confused with nuclear fission used by our current nuclear power plants, which produce radioactive waste and a fraction of the power.
Implementing renewables like solar and wind is key in the interim, but according to Wilson, “Fusion is where we’re going to. Fusion is the energy source we need if we’re going to exist thousands of years as a society in the future.”
Even though the word “nuclear” sort of makes us cringe (Chernobyl, the atomic bomb, etc.), it may be the answer to the biggest challenges we face.
Here are few things happening in nuclear energy that you should know about:
- Taylor Wilson designed a nuclear fission reactor that is perfectly safe, produces a shit ton of power, and eats up radioactive waste as fuel. Watch his TED Talk here: My radical plan for small nuclear fission reactors.
- China, the EU, India, Japan, Korea, Russia and the US are engaged in a 35-year collaboration to advance fusion science.
- The UK start up Tokamak Energy is taking an innovative approach to developing fusion faster.
Pure, limitless green enrgy
That’s where we’re headed when we achieve “ignition” — when a nuclear fusion reactor starts producing more energy than we put into it.
To paraphrase Steven Cowley, it will be one of the great moments in science.
When it happens, we’ll replicate it in new nuclear power facilities around the world. We will finally round the corner and see the sustainable energy future we’ve been dreaming of.
The possibilities it will create for food production and clean fresh water supplies around the world will be game-changing.
Sun isn’t shining? No worries. Wind isn’t howling? Don’t sweat it.
In this new world, it won’t matter.
