Fusion energy and why it is important to chase the impossible | Melanie Windridge | TEDxWarwick

Making the highly scientific accessible to all, Melanie discusses the prospect of nuclear fusion energy, and how harnessing the thermal processes of the sun could lead to a new generation of energy. Melanie is the Communications Consultant at Tokamak Energy—a pioneering company aimed at the development of Nuclear Fusion Energy technology. They are designing the first fusion reactor, called ST40, to achieve commercial nuclear fusion power. If successful, the ST40 will reach 100 million degrees—the temperature required to fuse charged atoms and generate large amounts of energy. Melanie holds a PhD in Plasma Physics from Imperial College London where she worked in research surrounding the tokamak, the device in which the fusion of charged particles takes place. She is the author of a book on fusion energy, entitled ‘Star Chambers: The Race for Fusion Power’, and of the popular science book ‘Aurora: In Search of the Northern Lights’. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx