Fusion means joining things together to form a single entity, perhaps permanently, in the three-dimensional world. A wire can fuse to a connector following a short circuit. We could also join two wires together using solder and heat. Both these phenomena require the presence of energy. Nuclear fusion releases huge amounts of this, when two atomic nuclei come close enough together to form a single, heavier one.
Comparing Nuclear Fusion and Nuclear Fission
The terms look similar but they are light years apart. Nuclear fusion is a constructive process with huge potential to change the energy map of the world.
By contrast, nuclear fission AKA splitting the atom is a destructive process. It breaks a single atom into smaller parts, releasing a very large amount of radioactive energy in the case of nuclear bombs.
The Future of Nuclear Fusion Is in The Stars
Nuclear fusion is a special case of synthesis, whereby individual elements combine to form a system. A process we call stellar nucleosynthesis releases energy as the nuclei in stars combine.
This is responsible for the durability of our sun, and all the other stars, in all the other galaxies.
Nuclear fusion is thus the light we see appear at dawn when the night sky diminishes, and the warmth we feel on our skin as the sun rises.
From Energy We Come, To Energy Do We Return
Progressive stellar nucleosynthesis creates massive stars that gather nuclei from gases all around them. Eventually a star becomes too dense, and ends in a catastrophic explosion we call a supernova, meaning ‘new star’. However, the effect is illusionary since we are actually seeing the light from an explosion that happened eons ago.
As this fades, nuclear fusion begins creating a new celestial body from the scattered debris. We feel so small, so insignificant when we consider these things.
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Preview Image: Nuclear Fusion
