NASA has achieved a magnificent milestone that they’ve been working on for decades. After several experiments with laser beams, they managed to obtain nuclear fusion. To better explain how solar energy works and how we can harness it, you can check out the Helios browser game.
Let’s first look at the NASA announcement about the achievement. Since 1950, scientists have been working on developing nuclear fusion as a way to produce cleaner energy that doesn’t harm the environment. It happens naturally on suns and other stars when two atoms collide. Recently, NASA appears to finally have some progression in this field.
The experiment consisted of 192 laser beams shooting at a single target of fuel made up of hydrogen isotopes. A diamond shell encased this fuel pellet. What resulted was more energy coming out of the pellet than going in, which is exactly what was needed.
You see, the nuclear fusion between hydrogen atoms in space releases clean energy as a result. As they say, energy can’t be created or destroyed, only transferred. So when these atoms collide, the resultant energy needs to go somewhere. And human beings want to replicate this action so we can harness that resultant energy.
Of course, shooting 192 laser beams to make that energy isn’t ideal. It’s a start, though. It shows us that we’re well on our way to being able to make nuclear fusion happen for a brighter, healthier, cleaner future.
If you’re still confused, go check out that Helios browser game. You start by connecting two protons to make a neutron and then add two more protons to the neutron to make an atom. When you have two atoms ready, you simply throw them together to cause the nuclear fusion explosion.
As Doctor Octavius said in Spiderman 2: The power of the sun in the palm of [our hands].
