Nuclear Fusion

Nuclear fusion is a nuclear reaction in which two light atomic nuclei combine to form a heavier nucleus, releasing energy in the process. This reaction powers stars, including the Sun, where hydrogen nuclei fuse to create helium. Fusion has the potential to provide a nearly limitless source of energy with minimal environmental impact, as it produces no long-lived radioactive waste and has abundant fuel sources, such as isotopes of hydrogen. However, achieving controlled nuclear fusion for practical energy production on Earth remains a significant scientific and engineering challenge.
For more information, visit the Wikipedia entry on Nuclear Fusion.

Q: What world-changing idea, small or big, would you like to see implemented by humanity?

A: This is easy. I would like to see the development of fusion power to give an unlimited supply of clean energy, and a switch to electric cars. Nuclear fusion would become a practical power source and would provide us with an inexhaustible supply of energy, without pollution or global warming.

— Stephen Hawking (Brief Answers to the Big Questions)

Parents

Quantum Physics