In the 19th century, the world ran on steam. In the 21st century, little has changed. Every thermal power plant still relies on steam as a final stage.
The target chamber at the National Ignition Facility has been the site of a number of breakthroughs in fusion physics.
U.S. Department of Energy/Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
The promise of abundant, clean energy powered by nuclear fusion is one big step closer thanks to a new experiment. The results are a historic scientific milestone, but energy production remains a ways off.
Artist’s depiction of ions in the inertial confinement experiment.
John Jett and Jake Long/LLNL
The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the US has reached an historic milestone – producing more energy from a fusion experiment than they put in. Here’s what you need to know.
Mega Ampere Spherical Tokamak in Oxfordshire, UK.
Courtesy of MAST
In January 2022, the JET fusion experiment produced more power over a longer period of time than any past attempt. Two physicists explain the engineering advancements that made the result possible.