Fusion Energy

Fusion is a clean way of producing energy and the fuel materials which are necessary for it to work are so abundant and widely available that it could literally power the entire world for ages. It is no wonder that it has been an old dream of many scientists and engineers to achieve controlled fusion. Even less surprising that it has been at least an element of countless modern sci-fi books, movies and even video games. Beyond being fascinating for what it is, fusion research is also one of the most complex and cutting edge topics of modern science and engineering.

In the first part of this studio, students will explore the source, the character, and the potential of fusion energy as scientists – realizing where it comes from, what it might be good for, why it is the way you just read it was and what that all means to us. Then students move on to the future of fusion research and try to figure out together what could hinder the development of reactors and the effect the existence of fusion reactors will have on our countries and the order we now live in. Finally, students will think up the farthest reaching consequences such reactors might have (to, say, space travel).

István Cziegler

PhD, Physics, MIT

István Cziegler is a PhD student in the Plasma Science and Fusion Center at MIT, where his main research topic is the edge turbulence of fusion grade plasmas. The goal of this work is to help us understand the energy and mass transport properties of plasmas which must be predictable for a fusion device. As part of this effort he designed and built an ultra-fast camera to track the rapid motions of turbulence. He trained as an atomic and molecular physicist in Hungary. For his master’s thesis, he studied plasma waves and hydrodynamic chaos. Outside of lab he translates Hungarian, loves its poetry and drama, teaches the language and directs theater; some of his translations of English books have been published, and several translated plays performed – including two at MIT.