If humanity survives for thousands more years, our primary energy source could very likely be nuclear fusion.
It¡¯s clean, the fuel is inexhaustible and cheap and there¡¯s no risk of a meltdown. It¡¯s the power source of the stars ¡ª the whole cosmos, in fact. And we¡¯re tantalizingly close to making it work. The downside is that the particular reactor now making the important breakthroughs in fusion is linked inextricably to nuclear weapons research.
That¡¯s not necessarily a deal breaker, but it presents risks that the public should know about and weigh in on.
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