Name: How synchronized hammer strikes could generate nuclear fusion
Uploaded: 2014-04-22T14:57:24Z
Duration: 12 min 36 s
Description: Our energy future depends on nuclear fusion, says Michel Laberge. The plasma physicist runs a small company with a big idea for a new type of nuclear reactor that could produce clean, cheap energy. His secret recipe? High speeds, scorching temperatures and crushing pressure. In this hopeful talk, he explains how nuclear fusion might be just around the corner.

Our energy future depends on nuclear fusion, says Michel Laberge. The plasma physicist runs a small company with a big idea for a new type of nuclear reactor that could produce clean, cheap energy. His secret recipe? High speeds, scorching temperatures and crushing pressure. In this hopeful talk, he explains how nuclear fusion might be just around the corner.

How synchronized hammer strikes could generate nuclear fusion

Nuclear fusion promises clean, abundant energy by mimicking the sun’s method of power generation. Achieving fusion on Earth has proven daunting, demanding temperatures of 150 billion degrees Celsius and complex machinery. While major labs have made dramatic progress—producing 10,000 times more fusion than decades ago—cost and scale remain obstacles. A new approach uses synchronized steam-powered pistons to rapidly crush plasma, offering a potentially cheaper, more practical path to limitless power.