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The Star Builders: Nuclear Fusion and the Race to Power the Planet
by
34/99
Critics
38/99
Readers
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Scholars
15/99
Rating
52/99
Volume
44/99
Rating
32/99
Volume
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About This Book
From a young, award-winning scientist, a "thoughtful and illuminating" ( Nature ) look at one of the most compelling and historic turning points of our time—the race to harness the power of the stars and produce controlled fusion, creating a practically unlimited supply of clean energy. The most important energy-making process in the universe takes place inside stars. The ability to duplicate that process in a lab, once thought impossible, may now be closer than we think. Today, teams of scientists around the world are being assembled by the boldest entrepreneurs, big business, and governments to solve what is the most difficult technological challenge humanity has ever building the equivalent of a star on earth. If their plans to capture star power are successful, they will unlock thousands, potentially millions, of years of clean, carbon-free energy. Not only would controlled nuclear fusion help solve the climate crisis, it could also make other highly desired technological ambitions possible—like journeying to the stars. Given the rising alarm over deterioration of the environment, and the strides being made in laser and magnetic field technology, powerful momentum is gathering behind fusion and the possibilities it offers. In The Star Builders , award-winning young plasma physicist Arthur Turrell "offers an optimistic outlook for the future of fusion power and is adamant about the need to invest in it" ( The New York Times ). Turrell describes fascinating star machines with ten times as many parts as the NASA Space Shuttle, and structures that extend over 400 acres in an accessible and entertaining account, spotlighting the individuals, firms, and institutions racing for the finish science-minded entrepreneurs like Jeff Bezos and Peter Thiel, companies like Goldman Sachs and Google, universities like Oxford and MIT, and virtually every rich nation. It's an exciting and game-changing international quest that will make all of us winners.
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Reviews
"A diligent journalist, Turrell does not overhype his subject, delivering a painless education with asides on the history of the universe, the life cycle of stars, and the dismal consequences if we don't stop burning fossil fuels ..."
"And, as if the challenge of clean energy weren't enough, Turrell has one last stretch for our imagination: to fusion propulsion for space travel."
"[A] thoroughly researched, yet accessible book ..."
"Readers will find plenty of answers—and optimism—about the future of fusion here."
"The field suffers from hype, obfuscation, empty promises and well-meaning enthusiasts like Turrell who uncritically report what those with vested interests say."
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