Menu Close

Articles on Nuclear fission

Displaying all articles

A technician conducting a review at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, Calif. (Damien Jemison/Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory via AP)

Nuclear fusion breakthrough: Decades of research are still needed before fusion can be used as clean energy

While the nuclear fusion scientific breakthrough is indeed historic, it’s important to pause and reflect on the way ahead for fusion energy.
Fire a set of high-power lasers at a tiny speck of hydrogen isotopes and you can initiate nuclear fusion, the process that powers the Sun. National Ignition Facility

How much energy can people create at one time without losing control?

Scientists are working on ways to make lots of energy by converting matter into energy. The trick is keeping the process under control. One possibility is nuclear fusion – the Sun’s power source.
Over the last 50 years, a lot has changed in rocketry. The fuel that powers spaceflight might finally be changing too. CSA-Printstock/DIgital Vision Vectors via Getty Images

To safely explore the solar system and beyond, spaceships need to go faster – nuclear-powered rockets may be the answer

An update of 50-year-old regulations has kickstarted research into the next generation of rockets. Powered by nuclear fission, these new systems could be the key to faster, safer exploration of space.
United Nations Security Council members listen to Iranian Deputy Ambassador to the United Nations Eshagh Al-Habib, left, during a meeting on Iran’s compliance with the 2015 nuclear agreement, Dec. 12, 2018, at UN headquarters. AP Photo/Mary Altaffer

Nuclear weapons and Iran’s uranium enrichment program: 4 questions answered

Iran’s leaders are threatening to breach a 2015 agreement that froze their country’s nuclear program. What is uranium enrichment, and what would it mean for Iran’s ability to build nuclear weapons?
California’s San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station was shut down in 2013. julius fekete/shutterstock.com

The demise of US nuclear power in 4 charts

Commercial nuclear reactors provide roughly one-fifth of the electricity produced in the US. But they face grave threats to their continued operation.
The coils winding facility building in France, where a global effort to build the ITER fusion energy reactor is underway. Rob Crandall/Shutterstock.com

Why nuclear fusion is gaining steam – again

As fusion becomes more technically viable, it’s time to assess whether it’s worth the money because breakthroughs in the lab don’t guarantee success in the marketplace.

Top contributors

More