Nuclear fusion, explained to beginners

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What is really happening with nuclear fusion?? @simonegiertz and I try to explain…
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You've probably heard of nuclear fusion. Perhaps you've heard news recently that Livermore National Laboratory has achieved a breakthrough in nuclear fusion called "ignition" – meaning it produced more energy than was needed to start the reaction. This is a big deal! But that leaves other questions unanswered. I wanted to know more.

I started by asking the CEO of nuclear fusion company Helion all my big questions: What is nuclear fusion, really? I know this happens on the sun, but how can we do it on earth? Are we already doing it? Then I ask one last question: "I've heard of kids building fusion reactors in their mom's garage…if fusion is that hard…what are THEY doing?" The answer sparks the funniest and most ambitious Huge If True episode yet.

Turns out you can actually BUILD a nuclear fusion device. So I teamed up with my friend Simone Giertz to try. When something goes wrong, it turns into an explanation of what's really going on with the world's most publicized energy source.

Special thanks to Jessie, Ron and Joben from Helion for helping to organize such an exciting shoot (and for not giving up!). And thanks to Anna Bresnahan for helping film this episode!

Chapters:
00:00 We tried to build a nuclear fusion reactor
03:07 What is nuclear fusion?
04:51 Thanks, Oura!
05:31 Are we close to nuclear fusion?
07:30 How does nuclear fusion work?
08:31 How does the sun merge?
09:21 Fusion by magnetic confinement
09:52 Fusion by inertial confinement
10:37 a.m. Fusion by magneto-inertial confinement
11:01 What does the merger look like?
12:03 Why CAN'T WE do a merge?
13:33 Why do we need fusion?

Correction:
07:48 In plasma, one or more electrons are stripped from an atom (unlike protons and neutrons themselves which are “broken into pieces/”!)

Sources and further reading:
– Watch more of Simone here: https://www.youtube.com/c/simonegiertz
– The Star Builders: Nuclear Fusion and the Race to Power the Planet, by Arthur Turrell: https://www.amazon.com/Star-Builders-Nuclear-Fusion-Planet/dp/1982130660
– The Future of Fusion Energy, by Jason Parisi and Justin Ball: https://www.amazon.com/Future-Fusion-Energy-Jason-Parisi/dp/1786347490
– Atomic Awakening: A new look at the history and future of nuclear energy, by James Mahaffey: https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Awakening-History-Future-Nuclear/dp/1605981273
– Principles of Fusion Energy: An Introduction to Fusion Energy for Science and Engineering Students: https://www.amazon.com/Principles-Fusion-Energy-Introduction-Engineering/dp/9812380337
– “Nuclear fusion energy moves closer to reality”, Washington Post: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/08/26/nuclear-fusion-technology-climate-change/
– “Major breakthrough in nuclear fusion energy”, BBC: https://youtu.be/0fYiNVRmOA4
– “Fusion power explained: future or failure”, Kurzgesagt: https://youtu.be/mZsaaturR6E
– “How Helion’s approach to fusion works” https://youtu.be/HlNfP3iywvI
– “We went inside the largest nuclear fusion reactor, the B1M: https://youtu.be/4BkOUOK0XzM
– “Why billions of private individuals are flocking to the merger”, Bloomberg: https://youtu.be/Dp6W7g9no0w

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Biography :
Cleo Abram is an Emmy-nominated video producer and journalist. Cleo produces in-depth explanatory stories on technology and economics. She wrote the Coding and Diamonds episodes of Vox's Netflix show, Explained, was the host and lead producer of Vox's first-ever daily show, Answered, and host and producer of Vox's YouTube Originals show. Vox, Glad You Asked. She now creates her own independent show, Huge If True. Each episode takes a big technology innovation or idea, explains what it is, and helps people imagine how it could improve the world we live in by answering a simple question: If it works, what could go well?

Vox: https://www.vox.com/authors/cleo-abram
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm10108242/

Equipment I use:
Camera: Sony A7SIII
Lens: Sony 16-35mm F2.8 GM
Audio: Sennheiser SK AVX and Zoom H4N Pro

Music: Musical bed

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Welcome to the joke at the bottom:

How does a nuclear physicist ask for a pay raise?
Gamma rays.

Find a way to use the word "rays" in a comment to let me know you're a real one 😉