German scientists to conduct nuclear fusion experiments

[ThePaladin]

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2...ela-merkel

Scientists in Germany are poised to conduct a nuclear fusion experiment they hope will advance the quest for a clean and safe form of nuclear power.

In a test expected to be attended by Angela Merkel, the chancellor, researchers will inject a tiny amount of hydrogen into a special device and heat it until it becomes a super-hot gas known as plasma – mimicking conditions inside the sun.

The experiment at the Max Planck Institute in Greifswald, north-east Germany, is part of a worldwide effort to harness nuclear fusion – a process in which atoms join at extremely high temperatures and release large amounts of energy.

First thing out of younger kid's mouth when he saw me tonight was to ask if I'd heard about this.

And I had no idea that Angela Merkel holds a doctorate in physics.