TED Talks Daily The secret force for limitless energy? Lasers | Tammy Ma
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Jul 29, 2024 
Tammy Ma, a pioneering physicist, recently led a team to achieve fusion ignition, replicating the sun's energy process here on Earth. In the conversation, she reveals how a massive laser was central to this groundbreaking achievement. She discusses the potential of fusion energy as a limitless and clean resource that could revolutionize global energy consumption. The challenges and future implications of harnessing this technology are also explored, painting an exciting picture of what our energy landscape could look like.
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Fusion with the World's Largest Laser
- Tammy Ma asks what to do with the world's largest laser, proposing using it for fusion.
- She envisions splitting the laser into 200 beams to compress hydrogen atoms and create miniature stars.
Fusion as an Energy Source
- Fusion offers a different kind of nuclear power by merging light atoms instead of splitting heavy ones.
- This process involves deuterium and tritium, isotopes of hydrogen, to create helium and a neutron, releasing substantial energy.
Fusion's Advantages
- Fusion is a clean energy source as it doesn't involve carbon and is inherently safe because it requires continuous energy input.
- Its waste decays in decades, allowing power plants near cities, compatible with existing grids.