Homade Nuclear Reactor Built in NYC

Don't look now, but your neighbor might be building a fusion reactor, and it's perfectly legal. Check out thisstory by Matthew Danzico writing for the BBC. It's got to be one of the craziest and coolest pieces I've read in a while.

A gentleman by the name of Mark Suppes, a 32-year-old software developer, spent $35,000 on parts he bought legally on eBay and is building a fusion reactor in a warehouse in Brooklyn.

Now, let's just pause here a moment to remind ourselves the difference between nuclear fusion and fission. Fission is the splitting apart of atoms. City-annihilating bombs are based on the technology as are nuclear power plants -- both of which produce radioactive waste.

Fusion is the joining of atoms to produce energy (it's how the sun works) and so far, no one's really figured out how to do it efficiently. Oh, many-a scientist have tried, and for good reason. Fusion energy is not made with nuclear materials, such as uranium or plutonium, it does not produce CO2 or other emissions and it could make virtually unlimited energy relatively inexpensive.

http://news.discovery.com/tech/homemade-nuclear-reactor-built-in-nyc.html

trepont