A Piece of the Sun: The Quest for Fusion Energy

For the past 60 years, the development of controlled atomic fusion has been the holy grail for physicists and alternative-energy advocates. Clery, a theoretical physicist and European news editor of Science magazine, introduces readers to the problems inherent in this quest and to the international group of scientists who doggedly pursue it. Following WWII and the advent of the atomic bomb (which was based on fission), British, American, and Soviet scientists began investigating the possibility of fusion as a means to build more powerful weapons. Amazingly enough, in 1958—at the height of the Cold War—the U.K. and the U.S. completely declassified their fusion research, thereby enabling physicists from around the world to collaborate. But even with international cooperation, the magnitude of the task was glaringly apparent—it was far more complicated and expensive than they could’ve imagined. Getting to a point where fusion was tenable in the lab meant harnessing the power of the Sun on Earth. The author charts many dead ends and limited successes, all of which have led to a greater store of knowledge, but no fusion energy—yet. Ultimately, Clery argues that developing a source of energy that won’t damage the climate—or ever run out—is worth striving for. Agent: Peter Tallack, Science Factory (U.K.). (July)