01/22/2025
Plasma Matters
BREAKING: China's "artificial sun" just shattered fusion records, generating plasma for over 17 minutes.
We just moved one step closer to near-limitless, clean energy.
The Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) reactor sustained super-hot plasma for 1,066 seconds β more than double its previous record of 403 seconds.
Fusion, which mimics the energy-producing process of the Sun by fusing light atoms into heavier ones, could provide a virtually inexhaustible energy source without greenhouse gas emissions or significant nuclear waste.
Despite this breakthrough, fusion technology is still in its developmental stages, requiring decades more research before it becomes a viable energy solution.
EASTβs advancements, including an upgraded heating system, are a critical step toward self-sustaining plasma loops needed for future fusion power plants. Currently, all fusion reactors consume more energy than they produce, but efforts like EAST contribute valuable data to international projects such as ITER, a large-scale fusion reactor under construction in France.
While challenges remain, these milestones bring humanity closer to harnessing the "Holy Grail" of clean energy. Researchers emphasize the importance of international collaboration to make fusion power a reality.
Learn more: https://english.news.cn/20250120/1d4e392ccaef48f29e8e9cdd0f9360c5/c.html