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.
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Articles on Fusion
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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.
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.
The fastest things ever made by humans are spacecraft, and the fastest spacecraft reached 330,000 mph – only 0.05% the speed of light. But there are ways to go faster.
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.
Why do nuclear plants produce radioactive water – and what happens when that water gets into the ocean?
Davis’s 1970 album Bitches Brew turned jazz on its head and paved the way for fusion. More recently, Radiohead cited it as a key influence.
Why isn’t there an endless variety of planets in the universe? An astrophysicist explains why planets only come in two flavors.
People long assumed all the elements we see now were created during the Big Bang. But on May 2, 1952, an astronomer reported spotting new elements coming from an old star and changed our origin story.
Top contributors
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Senior Lecturer in Popular and Contemporary Music, Newcastle University
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Associate Professor, Electro-Mechanical Engineering, University of Southern Queensland
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Professor of Nuclear Physics, Michigan State University
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University Distinguished Professor of Nuclear Astrophysics, Michigan State University
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University Distinguished Professor of Astronomy, University of Arizona
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Planetary Astrophysicist, Senior Research Scientist at the Southwest Research Institute and Co-Investigator for the Nexus for Exoplanet System Science (NExSS), Arizona State University
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Assistant Professor of Physics, Rutgers University - Newark
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Professor of Genetic Toxicology and Ecotoxicology, University of Plymouth
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Assistant Professor of Nuclear Engineering, Zinkle Faculty Fellow, University of Tennessee
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Associate Professor of Nuclear Engineering, University of Tennessee
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Associate Professor of Nuclear Engineering, University of Michigan
