this post was submitted on 19 Feb 2025
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France has upped the ante in the quest for fusion power by maintaining a plasma reaction for over 22 minutes – a new record. The milestone was reached on February 12 at the Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA) WEST Tokamak reactor.

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[–] [email protected] 42 points 3 days ago (1 children)

In the latest test, the WEST Tokamak held its reaction for 1,337 seconds.

They could have gone a few seconds longer but decided to stop it there.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 3 days ago

Them 1337 ~~gamers~~ scientists.

[–] [email protected] 29 points 3 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

France really ~~becoming~~ returning to it's position as an international leader in so many different ways.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Has been for centuries. There’s dozens upon dozens of “treaties of Paris”

[–] [email protected] 7 points 3 days ago (1 children)

True, I guess I just meant in the face of fading US post-WWII dominance.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Going for the cultural victory late in the game.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago

Meanwhile Russia going for that lategame domination victory after having a tough dark age where a bunch of cities declared independence.

[–] [email protected] 19 points 3 days ago (1 children)

It amuses me that the two longest-running tokamaks are now EAST in China and WEST in Europe

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 days ago

It’d be way funnier if the China one was named WEST and the European one was EAST

[–] [email protected] 18 points 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) (1 children)

Holy fuck that's pretty fucking good.

According to CEA, the next step will be to create even longer reactions that could amount to a combined time of several hours, with the temperature growing increasingly hotter.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 days ago (3 children)

Is it too hot to hold though? I am interested in the power of the sun in the palm of my hand.

[–] [email protected] 16 points 2 days ago (1 children)

is your hand a magnetic containment field per chance?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I'll check and get back with you.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 days ago (1 children)

It's been two hours. He ded.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 days ago

Rip, YamahaRevStar

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 days ago

You can do it once.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago
[–] [email protected] 17 points 3 days ago (1 children)

This is actually pretty huge right? I know for the longest time there was always the joke of '5 more years and we will have fusion' but this is measurable progress right?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

Yeah the fusion train has been picking up speed. Might be 2.5 years until Fusion now.

[–] ryedaft 4 points 3 days ago

Not me being baffled by "The tricky bit isn't to get atoms to fuse. That's a fairly simple lab bench experiment." before remembering that we did that in high school.

[–] HenriVolney 4 points 3 days ago (2 children)

When will they be able to start ITER though?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 3 days ago

Even assuming no delays, that's about ten years off.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

All I want to know is when I can finally buy a Mr. Fusion for my car.

[–] HenriVolney 4 points 3 days ago

France baise ouais!