Henley Café Sci: Fusion Developments - East+West, East or West , Who will win?

Basingstoke Science Cafe enthusiasts are invited to the Henley Cafe Scientifique talk on “Fusion Developments - East+West, East or West , Who will win?” delivered by Alan Costley.

Please try to avoid last minute bookings. It can cause lots of administration especially when we are full. Thank you

To attend, please email the Henley Café Sci organiser directly at:
[cafescihenley@gmail.com](mailto:cafescihenley@gmail.com)

SUMMARY
“Fusion is the most basic source of energy in the universe, powering, as it does, all the stars including our Sun. Under the direct control of humans, it offers essentially endless energy from reactors that have low CO2 emissions.

Multiple developed nations have been striving to bring this energy source into reality for more than 50 years but not yet to the point where we have a useful power source. The quest for Fusion has been used as a means to bridge the geopolitical divides through cooperative and collaborative programmes. These cooperations culminated in the creation of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) device currently under construction in France, which is one of the few remaining areas where the US, Russia , China along with Europe, India, Japan and South Korea continue to work together on an open and shared basis.

However in recent years many independent programmes both government and private company funded have started with fusion startups now attracting serious investment. This talk outlines the fusion basics, describes briefly the different approaches being pursued and then addresses the question of the near-term competition: East + West or East vs West. Who will win?

SPEAKER
Alan Costley, a trained physicist, has worked in fusion for the bulk of his professional life including leading a small team working on a UK/USSR project in the 1970s at the Kurchatov Institute, Moscow, and in multiple fusion labs in Europe, the US, Japan, and 16 years in a senior position on the ITER project. Since the 1980s he has had an association with the Academy of Sciences of the Institute of Plasma Physics, Hefei, China, one of the most advanced fusion devices in the world. He brings this wide experience to an attempt to answer the question posed in the title of the talk.”
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HOW TO BOOK
These events can be very popular and MUST be booked in advance.

To book your places(s) please email the Henley Café Sci organiser directly at **cafescihenley@gmail.com**. When he has confirmed your booking, please RSVP here so that we know you are coming and can look out for you.

The booking process remains as before
1. Café-Sci announce an event by sending members this announcement email
2. You respond by requesting a registration to attend live
3. If you subsequently find you are not able to attend, please advise as often there is a waitlist
4. You attend at the newly refurbished Henley Hockey Club, where a few members bring their own cushions
5. Avoid the Tesco Car Park, gates close at 9pm.
6. If we cancel, the notice will go those who registered

TIMING AND REFRESHMENTS
Please arrive from 7pm for a 7:30 start. Usual format is 45 min talk followed by 45 Q&A. Liquid refreshments are available at the bar.
Admission is free, but the organisers ask for a voluntary contribution from about £2.

DIRECTIONS:
If coming into Henley along the Reading Road turn right at the roundabout towards Tesco, then first left and left again into the hockey club car park. The entrance is near the far end.