Fusion
Year of Discovery: 1951
What Is It? The opposite of fission, fusion fuses two atomic nuclei into one,
larger atom, releasing tremendous amounts of energy.
Who Discovered It? Lyman Spitzer
Why Is This One of the 100 Greatest?
Fusion energy is the power of the sun. It is a virtually unlimited power source that can
be created from hydrogen and lithium—common elements in the earth’s crust. Fusion is
clean, environmentally friendly, and nonpolluting. Fusion was theorized in the late 1910s
and the 1920s. It was mathematically described in the 1930s. It was finally discovered
(demonstrated in the lab) in 1951. Fusion’s tec ?????w?v2GW&?VB??F?F?R??G&?vV?&?? ?6??'F?F?W&VgFW"??'WBgW6????2??B?WB&VV?6??fW'FVB??F??G2&??6VB&7F?6?&V?G???B7F???v?&?0??????F?R?"??bF??2F?66?fW'?6?&R6??fW'FVB??F?v?&???r&V?G???Bv???V?BV?W&w??6??'FvW2f?"F??W6?G2?b?V'2???rv2?BF?66?fW&VC??66?V?F?7G2?B?v?2F??Vv?BF?BF?R7V?&?GV6VB?VB?B?v?B'?7GV??'W&???p??G2?v??GFW"F?&?Vv???&??6??'W7F??????F?R???WFVV?F?6V?GW'??fWr66?V?F?7G2???7@???F&?'&?F?6???&B?V?f???&wVVBF?BF?R7V?6?V?B7&VFR?VBg&???G2?v?w&f?FF????6???6^( F'WBF?B7V6?&?6W726?V?B????7Bf?"fWr??????V'2??V??7FV??( ?2f??W2?RWVF????R??3"????vVB66?V?F?7G2F?&V??RF?BWfV?F????V?G2?b?GFW"6?V?B&RGW&?VB??F?G&V?V?F?W2??V?G2?bV?W&w???????W&?6??7G&????W"?V?'?'W76V??FW67&?&VBF?R??6?72?B?F?V?F?6?&?6W76W2F?Bv?V?B???rF?R7V?F?gW6R??G&?vV?F??2??F??V?V?F??2?B&V?V6Rf7B??V?G2?bV?W&w????F?R&?6W72?F?R&?6W72v26??VBgW6????F??2F?V?'??b??rF?R7V?v?&?2v26??f?&?VB???#'?7G&????W"g&?6?27F??( ?2?V7W&V?V?G2??F?RF?V?'??bgW6???W??7FVB?'WBv2gW6???6??WF???rF?B6?V?B&R&7F?6??FWfV??VB??V'F?????3?vW&????6?6?7B??2&WF?RFW67&?&VN( F???F?V?F?6?FWF??( GF?RF?V?'??b??rF?7&VFRgW6???&V7F?????V'F??'WBF?W&Rv2&?&?V???&WF?^( ?2WVF???26?BF?B??G&?vV?F??2?BF?&R&?6VBF?FV?W&GW&R?b?fW" ??????FVw&VW22???????+b??B?BF?&R7VVW?VB??F?6???76R6?F?BF?R&?F??2????G&?vV??V6?V?v?V?B6???FR?BgW6R??F??V?V??V6?V??F?W&Rv2?????v??FW&???"f?&6RF?B6?V?B66???6?7V6?fVB?? ??