fusion and other challenges

As our civilisation is collectively failing every marshmallow test that presents itself, I am not very optimistic about our chances of averting catastrophic climate change. One tiny spark of hope comes from the fusion sector however. There are several startups that claim they can have their small fusion reactors ready to roll out in time to make a difference for climate change. They'd better pull their socks up, as this means they will have to start supplying electricity to the grid by the end of this decade, but part of me wants to believe that this might still be possible.

I rounded up some recent good news from the fusion startups in a new feature which is out now in C&I:

Fusion momentum

Chemistry & Industry Volume 86, Issue 3, March 2022, Pages 26-29

access via:

Wiley Online Library (paywalled)

SCI (members only)

Any access problems give me a shout and I can send a PDF file.

In the same issue, on page 34, you'll also find my review of the book Climate adaptations by the Arkbound foundation, which rounds up some very different responses to climate change from around the world (not involving fusion reactors).

Wiley Online Library (paywalled)

Also in this issue, in the news section on page 15, an update on the Earth Biogenome Project, which aims to sequence every eukaryotic species known to science within 10 years (see also the feature I wrote when it launched in 2018). As challenges go, this is similar in scale to getting fusion to work by 2030.

access via:

Wiley Online Library (paywalled)

SCI (members only)

I'm now running a twitter thread with this year's C&I features here.

On the cover of the magazine, a story about using metals as boosters for antibiotics, a new approach I wasn't aware of, so I should probably read the feature by Jasmin Fox-Skelly. Well, ahem, I would have shown that lovely cover if there was a decent image of it online, but as I can't find one, I'll have to show the first page of my feature instead:

Update 31.3. - here is the cover at last (or most of it):

Update 5.4.2022: Oxford spinout company First Light Fusion, whose unusual approach to fusion I mentioned briefly in this feature and discussed in more detail in the previous fusion feature in 2018, have today announced they have achieved fusion, a result that was independently verified. Press release here.