Is the age of nuclear fusion finally dawning?
After many decades of not-so-productive research, scientists have been making serious progress toward an energy revolution. On Monday came news of the latest milestone: According to press reports, scientists at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California recently induced a fusion reaction that produced a net energy gain — that is, it generated more power than it consumed.
Although its practical consequences may be limited, it was a major symbolic and scientific achievement. “Net gain” has been the elusive lodestar of fusion research since the 1950s. Realizing it should give a major boost to global research efforts, provide crucial data for other scientists to study, validate the push for more government investment, and offer a tantalizing glimpse of fusion’s real-world possibilities.
