Magnetic confinement fusion: Science that’s hotter than a Kardashian Instagram post

Michael Barnes introduces the basic concepts behind magnetic confinement fusion, he describes why it is so challenging and discusses possibilities for the future. One gram of hydrogen at 100 million degrees for 1 second: This is (roughly) what is needed to produce net energy from magnetic confinement fusion. Scientists have been working towards this goal for over half a century, applying strong magnetic fields to contain a hot, ionised gas long enough for a significant number of fusion reactions to occur. However, there has been a recent surge in interest and optimism surrounding fusion as a terrestrial energy source.

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Magnetic confinement fusion: Science that’s hotter than a Kardashian Instagram post is an episode from Theoretical Physics - From Outer Space to Plasma by Oxford University.

This episode is 41:26 long.

This episode was published on Jun 2, 2023.

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