Remember those fusion vs fission classes? Brush up, 'cos scientists just had a major nuclear fusion moment

In Marvel's Wakanda, the alien substance vibranium, powers the entire fictional country, and its traditions. It is also core to the fictional country's survival and advancement. But have you ever wondered what it would be like to have vibranium for real?  

While vibranium is still fictional, there is something like vibranium that scientists on Earth are actually trying to make, a substance that will put humanity's progress on a fast track without the bad side effects. And now, scientists have announced a major breakthrough. 

It's called nuclear fusion - the opposite of nuclear fission which we have in our nuclear plants right now. 

#UPDATE US researchers announced a historic nuclear fusion breakthrough on Tuesday, hailing a "landmark achievement" in the quest for a source of unlimited, clean power and an end to reliance on fossil fuels ▶️ https://t.co/OB2gbsCEG4 #LLNL pic.twitter.com/603Pfwju21

— AFP News Agency (@AFP) December 13, 2022

With nuclear fusion, humanity will have access to limitless energy without having to worry about climate change, global warming, or destroying the planet. 

What is the breakthrough? For the first time since the 1930s, scientists have found a way to make more energy from nuclear fusion than what was put it.  

• The experiment was conducted at the National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California, US.
• So far, no other nuclear fusion experiment has been able to produce more energy than what was put in to make the process take place. 

How is nuclear fusion energy created? Nuclear fusion can be created by combining just two elements found in abundance on Earth - hydrogen and lithium. 

• A small capsule containing hydrogen is heated using laser beams. In the latest experiment in California, a powerful 192-beam laser was used to heat the capsule.
• The capsule is heated to at least 100 million degrees Celsius - which is hotter than the Sun's core. In other words, scientists are recreating a small Sun/star on planet Earth. 
• The heat makes the hydrogen atoms fuse and releases energy. This energy can be captured and used. 
• Nuclear fusion is something we see around ourselves day and night. It is the process that makes the Sun and the stars in our sky shine. 
• But at the same time, it is also quite out of reach from Earth, since the process doesn't naturally occur on our planet. 

First, what is nuclear fusion? It's a reaction that literally creates new atoms from old: lighter nuclei (say types of hydrogen) are smashed together to make heavier nuclei—and LOTS of energy. And the energy comes from an equation you already know! (Yes the one by Einstein) pic.twitter.com/JdmVLDcUxb

— Arthur Turrell (@arthurturrell) December 10, 2022

Why is this breakthrough so important? You see, creating nuclear fusion energy is not an easy task. Humans have been at it since they found out how the Sun and the stars shine - through nuclear fusion. 

• But so far, the goal of creating nuclear fusion energy has been at best elusive. This breakthrough shows that scientists are on the right path and that it is entirely possible to create more energy than what it took to power the process of nuclear fusion. 

What are the limitations? Despite the recent breakthrough, we are nowhere closer to actually using nuclear fusion energy anytime soon. The best estimate is perhaps in a few decades. 

• It is also currently very expensive to fund experiments that don't produce any immediate results. 
• For example, the National Ignition Facility in California is a $3.5 billion experiment.
• Also, though the breakthrough produced more energy than what was put in to make nuclear fusion happen, it doesn't include the energy that was used to power the substance used to put the energy in - like the energy used to turn on the lasers for heat. 
• Also, the energy that was recently created was so tiny that it could only heat some 15-20 kettles. So, the Wakanda moment is still in the distant future.  

Nuclear fusion vs nuclear fission: Nuclear fusion shouldn't be confused with nuclear fission. Let's brush up on high school science a little bit. 

• Nuclear fission is the process where heavy atoms are split apart. In fusion, the atoms are fused together.
• Nuclear fission is currently used in nuclear power stations, but it produces dangerous radioactive waste that needs to be stored safely, sometimes for decades.    

Nuclear fusion is an important pursuit since our other options like fossil fuel and nuclear fission produce harmful gases and radioactive substances that harm the planet and its inhabitants. And unlike solar power, nuclear fusion doesn't depend on weather conditions.