Photo by Jonathan Borba on Unsplash
Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research Sets Record, 7x Hotter Than the Sun
April 1, 2024
The Korea Superconducting Tokamak Advanced Research (KSTAR) has broken its own record, again. This time, the fusion reactor managed to keep things as hot as 100 million degrees Celsius (180 million degrees Fahrenheit) for a whopping 48 seconds. That’s seven times hotter than the sun’s core.
Fusion, the process that powers stars, is what they’re trying to mimic here on Earth. But doing it here requires temperatures far hotter than what the sun’s core churns out, mainly because we don’t have gravity to help squeeze everything together. So, to make it work, the KSTAR reactor, which is shaped like a giant donut, has to heat things up to 100 million degrees Celsius.
This isn’t KSTAR’s first rodeo with extreme heat. Back in 2018, it hit the 100 million degrees Celsius mark, but only for a brief 1.5 seconds. Since then, they’ve been improving slowly but surely, hitting 8 seconds in 2019, 20 seconds in 2020, and 30 seconds in 2021. Now, with some fancy upgrades like a new tungsten divertor, they’ve smashed their own record, keeping things toasty for almost a whole minute.
Ultimately, the team is shooting for 300 seconds of burning plasma by 2026. That’s five minutes of sustained fusion, which would be a massive leap forward in our quest for clean, limitless energy.
But KSTAR isn’t just a hot science project. It’s a crucial step toward reactors like ITER and DEMO, which could one day power entire cities without emitting greenhouse gases. ITER, set to fire up next year, promises to give us 10 times more energy than it consumes. And DEMO, its big brother, aims to actually generate electricity while producing 25 times more energy than it guzzles.
So, while fusion might still seem like science fiction, every leap forward at places like the KSTAR Research Center brings us closer to a brighter, cleaner future. And with DEMO’s construction slated to start soon, it might not be long before we’re all living in a world powered by miniature suns.
Recent News
Massive Data Breach Hits Ticketmaster, Affecting 560 Million Customers
Ticketmaster has fallen victim to a significant cyber-attack, potentially compromising the data of up to 560 million customers. The breach was confirmed by Ticketmaster’s parent company, Live Nation, which revealed that a notorious hacking group, ShinyHunters, is behind the attack. The hackers are demanding a ransom of approximately £400,000 to prevent the data from being sold on the dark web.
Toyota Recalls 100,000+ Tundra and Lexus LX SUVs Over Engine Debris Issue
Toyota has announced a recall for over 100,000 Tundra pickups and Lexus LX SUVs in North America due to potential engine issues caused by machining debris. This recall affects certain 2022-2023 models of the Tundra and LX, which are equipped with the new V6 twin-turbo engine. The V6 twin-turbo engine has faced considerable scrutiny regarding its reliability, especially when compared to the previous naturally aspirated V8 engines.
Wordle and Worldle Battle Over Names
A legal dispute has erupted between the wildly popular word game Wordle and the lesser-known geography game Worldle, centering on the similarity of their names. Wordle, which was developed by Josh Wardle in 2021 and later acquired by the New York Times in 2022 for a substantial sum, has gained immense popularity. In this game, players have six attempts to guess a five-letter word.
FDA Issues Recall for Crecelac Goat Milk Infant Formula
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a safety alert regarding Crecelac Goat Milk Infant Formula and other infant formula products imported and distributed by Dairy Manufacturers Inc. The alert highlights Cronobacter contamination concerns with Crecelac Infant Powdered Goat Milk Infant Formula. Although Dairy Manufacturers Inc. initiated a recall on May 24, 2024, due to non-compliance with FDA regulations, new findings of Cronobacter contamination have prompted further action.