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

Café Scientifique organises talks, usually given by scientists, followed by questions from the audience in the second half. They are a great opportunity to explore the latest ideas in science and technology, you don't need to be a scientist to enjoy the evening, everyone is welcome to ask a question or make a comment. Join us for tonight's talk:

“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

Alan, 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.

You can 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 and the Coffee/Tea kitchen.

Admission is free, but the organisers ask for a voluntary contribution from about £3.

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

Avoid the Tesco Car park, gates close at 9pm.