Achieving nuclear fusion would be building on the shoulders of giants

It took generations of engineers and scientists to reach this month’s fusion milestone, but it says there is a big challenge ahead. Matthew Sparks

Along Matthew Sparks

For the first time on Earth, a controlled nuclear fusion reaction produced more power than was used for kickstarting. According to the Atomic Energy Commission in 1954, fusion reactors could fulfill the decades-long promise of abundant and clean energy.

With 100 years of science behind the results and decades of engineering achievements still ahead, fusion, if it gets there, will be a long-term collaborative effort by humans and the It would be the best example of the biggest payoff ever. The engineer building the first commercial…