Current status : nuclear energy -- Problems : breaking even and scaling up -- Solutions : zap it with lasers -- Solutions : wrap it with magnets -- Solutions : cold fusion and fringe science.
Summary:
Inside the sun and all stars, atoms slam together and fuse, generating lots of energy. Here on Earth, fusion has the potential to fuel human civilization without worsening climate change or polluting the environment. But building a star on Earth is a huge engineering challenge. Scientists are working on a variety of different devices that they hope will one day provide fusion energy.
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