Nuclear Fusion - The Only Primary Energy Source Left in the Universe

Nuclear fusion, says klinger, is the only primary energy source left in the universe that we have yet to exploit. The process that powers the stars was harnessed in the 19 fifties for hydrogen bombs. Existing nuclear power plants use fission, the release of energy when heavy atoms such as uranium decay. Fusion produces energy by merging very light nuclei which can happen only at very high temperatures and pressures. Most efforts to harness it in reactors involve heating the hydrogen isotopes until they form a plasma - a fluid state of matter containing ironized atoms and other charged particles. Unlike fission, it is also safe because it can be switched off easily.