A superconductive force

As hot as Earth’s core – Tokamak Energy’s physicists made the temperature of their fusion ball reactor increase to 15 million degrees Celsius in 2018. The reactor copies the processes in the Sun's interior, turning hydrogen into helium through fusion. Not satisfied with copying our star, the physicists plan to push the reactor to 100 million °C later this year, boosting fusion processes and aiming to create a permanent energy source in the long term.

The prerequisite for being able to generate such high temperatures is the electromagnetic principle of superconductivity – power without resistance. The use of superconductivity, such as in MRI scanners, has until now been limited by the expense. But with new materials cooled by cheaper liquid nitrogen, wider possibilities beckon.

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The ball reactor is still experimental