BRAINDUMP
Could we make elements in a human-made fusion reactor?
Amazing answers to your curious questions
Fusion reactors like this are set up to turn hydrogen into helium, releasing energy
MEET THE EXPERTS
Who’s answering your questions this month?
Jo Elphick History and forensic science
Andy ExtanceChemistry, tech and science
Andrew May Space, transport and science
Victoria Williams Animals, the environment and science
The control room of the Wendelstein 7-x fusion reactor in Germany shows hydrogen plasma being generated
Alan Mora
Today’s fusion test reactors do generate energy by making an
element. That element is helium. The test reactors take in a lot of energy to fuse together different types of hydrogen atoms, making helium and ideally releasing much more energy. But most test reactors don’t often produce more energy than they use.
These reactors just focus on making this hydrogen-to-helium process happen. That’s not like stars, which can carry on fusing to make different elements. Scientists do try to make entirely new elements, but by smashing beams of atoms of different elements together rather than using a fusion reactor. AE
DOES THE EMPEROR OF JAPAN STILL HAVE ANY POWER?
Alice Mayes
While the emperor is considered to be the head of state, in reality he has little in the way of power.