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How close are we to powering the world with nuclear fusion? - George Zaidan

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1,328 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

Stars have cores hot and dense enough to force atomic nuclei together, forming larger, heavier nuclei in a process known as fusion. In this process, the mass of the end products is slightly less than the mass of the initial atoms. But that “lost” mass doesn’t disappear — it’s converted to energy ... a lot of energy. So, can we harness this energy to power the world? George Zaidan investigates.

What process occurs in the sun that combines smaller atomic nuclei into larger ones?

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator George Zaidan
  • Director Igor Coric, Artrake Studio
  • Narrator George Zaidan
  • Music Cem Misirlioglu, Brooks Ball
  • Sound Designer Cem Misirlioglu, Brooks Ball
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Produced by Sazia Afrin
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Editorial Producer Dan Kwartler
  • Fact-Checker Charles Wallace

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