The United States Department of Energy had [a big announcement](https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/scientists-achieve-breakthrough-nuclear-fusion) regarding the advancement of nuclear fusion.

For those who do not know, this is the magical energy source that will instantly change our planet once it comes to life.  It is something that we theorized about for decades, always to find it elusive.

There is an old saying that nuclear fusion is always a decade away.  After the recent announcement, this might finally be true.

Fusion is the combining of atoms instead of splitting them apart.  Present nuclear reactors utilize fission, which is dangerous if not contained.  It also produces radioactive waste.

The latter is not a problem with nuclear fusion.  There is a small amount of waste but it can be fed back into the reactor and used.

So what took place and where do we stand?

![image.png](https://images.hive.blog/DQmPeLykevga6iEg7ruhve4NwEp62jngs8drSHVSEGZ8fdU/image.png)
<center>[Source](https://media.npr.org/assets/img/2022/12/12/2012-037864-lg-041b10ab25936420ced3632b1ff6e8229fd5e851-s1100-c50.jpg)</center>

### A Big Step Forward For Physics

To start, do not look for your local utility company to build a fusion power plant.  We are at the stage where progress was made yet it is not close to reality.

Basically what occurred was a transfer from physics to engineering.  For the first time, more energy was created than went into the process.  This is the goal of fusion.  The input creates a reduction of mass resulting in energy, which is the output.  This is Einstein's formula.

>The crux of Tuesday’s news is that scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California were able to produce more energy via fusion than they put in. They put in 2.05 megajoules of energy and got out 3.15 megajoules.

<center>[Source](thehill.com/homenews/3774082-five-takeaways-from-the-fusion-energy-breakthrough/)</center>

This is the proof of concept that allows physicists to hand it off.  We know it is possible to create fusion resulting in more energy coming out.  Now it becomes an engineering problem.  It is up to that group of people to develop the different mechanisms that can make the system economically viable.

Of course, we have a huge challenge on that end.

### Massive Energy Amounts

If this can be harnessed, the world is looking at a massive increase in energy potential.  The amount that can be put out by properly constructred plants could be enormous.  Of course, since we are dealing with temperatures that rival the core of the sun, we need to have housing units that won't melt down.

No easy task.

We are dealing with something that could potentially replace both fossil fuels and present day nuclear.  Fission is a problem as evidence by the few meltdowns we had.  Fusion eliminates this fear.

Of course, the other aspect to this is the energy has to be controlled.  Being able to fuse atoms to create energy is nothing new.  However, when it is not controlled, it essentially is a bomb.  Hydrogen bombs are fairly commonplace in military testing.  As an energy source, this requires a bit more finesse.

Over the next couple decades, perhaps the greatest change in soceity might come from the idea of near limitless energy.  A lot have made note that humanity's progress is often tied to the amount of energy it can generate.  Back when we were powered by whale oil and candles, things were a bit slower.

The 20th century saw incredible gains in this area.  Over the next 50 years, the demand is not going to slow down.  Consider how much research is dependent upon electricity.  Even without accounting for things some feel we can do without, the search for life saving cures for ailments is energy intensive. 

Ultimately, according to many, fusion will be a part of our energy equation.  How soon that hits is anyone's guess.

At this time, the only thing we can say is that it is still a decade away.

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