Alexander Lewis 
Jan 24, 2024
To fulfil the persistently increasing demand for energy in this modern age scientists are working to utilise fusion processes, the same energy source that is found in the sun, at the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER).
ITER, the abbreviation of the nuclear fusion project's name, also translates to "the way," in Latin, according to ITER's official website.
The primary objective of the development of this experimental reactor is to provide Earth with endless energy, Researchers at ITER assert that “The Way” on Earth is towards its goal, aiming to create a cleaner alternative to fossil fuels and nuclear fission.
If the experiment goes well and succeeds, ITER in Southern France could become "arguably the most complex machine ever designed" and offer a sustainable solution.
Nuclear energy, despite well-publicised accidents, is considered stable when properly supervised and shielded from environmental hazards.
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The News, citing sources in the US Department of Energy, reported that Fission, currently powering 436 nuclear reactors, involves slamming neutrons into larger atoms to break them into smaller particles and generate energy, which as a result produces radioactive waste.
On the other hand, fusion involves colliding two smaller particles to create a heavier atom, producing significantly more energy than fission and without radioactive waste.
The ITER team's goal is to demonstrate the industrialisation of the fusion process, with the project underway since at least 2005. The nuclear reactor facility is utilising the largest magnetic confinement chamber on Earth, known as a tokamak, for the experiments.
