A nuclear bomb is a bomb that makes explosions by changing the nucleus of an atom in a way that releases a lot of energy.
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Articles on Nuclear fusion
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While the nuclear fusion scientific breakthrough is indeed historic, it’s important to pause and reflect on the way ahead for fusion energy.
A US national lab has proved we can the fusion process can be used to produce energy, but it’s just the first step in a very long process.
Huge challenges remain before working fusion reactors are possible.
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.
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.
A fusion of public and private investment appears to herald a new push towards developing the ultimate clean, limitless energy source.
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.
Fusion seems nearer than ever - but it won’t be the silver bullet to stop climate change.
Plus, the social pressure some people feel to be happy in the world’s happiest countries. Listen to The Conversation Weekly.
Fusion produces more energy per gram of fuel than any other process that could be achieved on Earth.
A US laboratory has announced an exciting new leap forward in nuclear fusion, but it may be several decades before we see this form of energy come to fruition.
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.
Building a mini star on Earth, and holding it together inside a reactor, is not an easy task.
If you could go right into the middle of the Sun, everything would be incredibly bright - and perhaps a little bit pink.
Despite recent reports, nuclear fusion-powered energy isn’t mere years from solving our clean energy needs. But physicists are making encouraging strides nonetheless.
Nuclear fusion may power post-carbon societies – but it won’t save us from climate change.
It’s true that here on Earth, if you want to burn something you need oxygen. But the Sun is different. It is not burning with the same kind of flame you would have on Earth if you burned a candle.
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.
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
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Professor, Mathematical Sciences Institute, Australian National University
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Senior Lecturer in Nuclear Physics, University of Birmingham
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Timothy J. Jorgensen is a Friend of The Conversation.
Director of the Health Physics and Radiation Protection Graduate Program and Professor of Radiation Medicine, Georgetown University
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Assistant Professor of Nuclear Engineering, Zinkle Faculty Fellow, University of Tennessee
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Lecturer in Applied Mathematics and Physics, Griffith University
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Applied Radiation Physics Section Leader, Culham Centre for Fusion Energy
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CBRN defence scientist, Charles Darwin University
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Lecturer, Jackson School of International Studies, University of Washington
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Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Carleton University
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Professor of Physics, Imperial College London
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Target design leader, National Ignition Campaign, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
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Physicist, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
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Head of Physics and Astronomy, Curtin University
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Emeritus Professor of Life Sciences, Arizona State University
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Emeritus Professor, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University
