Let's start with a heart-wrenching question: What if one day, oil and natural gas are all used up, electricity can't be generated, and we have to push our cars? We'll have to shiver to keep warm in winter, and phones and computers will all become bricks? You might say, "That's something that won't happen for decades," but countries have already started scrambling for the "lifebuoy." Recently, China's "artificial sun" EAST set a new record, but many people didn't take it seriously, thinking it's just a scientific experiment.

Wrong! This matter, on a small scale, relates to whether your electricity bill will go down in the future; on a larger scale, it may directly change China's position in the world, and even the way of life for the entire human race. Today, I'll explain it in simple terms: why is this thing so impressive?

This is not an ordinary technological breakthrough, but a battle for the "ultimate energy." First, we need to clarify that the "artificial sun" is not actually building a sun in the sky, but rather simulating the principle of how the sun shines and emits heat — nuclear fusion. Simply put, it's combining hydrogen isotopes "deuterium" and "tritium" under extremely high temperatures to collide and produce a huge amount of energy, then converting this energy into electricity.

Now, the whole world is racing to develop this technology, why? Because the current energy system has already become "severely ill": fossil fuels are being burned faster and faster, causing greenhouse effects; wind and solar energy depend on weather, which is unstable; nuclear fission power (the current nuclear power plants) have risks of nuclear leaks, and nuclear waste is difficult to handle.

However, nuclear fusion is the "magic drug" prescribed by the doctor. China's recent breakthrough is equivalent to us not only catching up with the leader in this global race, but also taking an early lead — previously, South Korea held the record at over 300 seconds, while we have reached 1056 seconds, and the temperature reached 160 million degrees Celsius, more than ten times the temperature of the sun's core.

Don't think "just a few hundred seconds isn't much," the difficulty of controlled nuclear fusion lies in "stability." Every second that plasma can withstand under extreme conditions represents a breakthrough in a series of cutting-edge technologies such as superconductivity, materials, and artificial intelligence control.

Common explanation: What does this mean for humanity and China?

First, let's do a calculation for all of humanity: This is the ultimate solution to "energy anxiety." The most common concern for ordinary people is "What will this bring me?" The answer is: No longer have to worry about energy anymore.

First, fuel is abundant and endless. The raw material for nuclear fusion, "deuterium," can be scooped up from seawater in large quantities. The energy produced by the fusion of deuterium in 1 liter of seawater is equivalent to 300 liters of gasoline. How much seawater is there on Earth? Enough for humans to burn for billions of years, longer than the lifespan of the sun. In the future, we no longer have to look at the Middle East's face or compete for oil fields and coal mines.

Second, clean and safe. Burning coal produces carbon dioxide, and nuclear fission produces nuclear waste. Nuclear fusion has none of these problems — it doesn't produce greenhouse gases, nor long-lived nuclear waste. Moreover, once it's out of control, the reaction stops immediately, and it's impossible to have accidents like Chernobyl. In the future, environmental organizations won't have to protest against building power plants, and we'll have confidence to deal with global warming.

Third, the energy density is extremely high. The energy released by 1 kilogram of nuclear fusion fuel is equivalent to 10,000 tons of coal. What does this mean? Maybe going to Mars is no longer a dream — a spaceship can carry a little fuel to fly back and forth, solving the problem of interstellar travel energy directly.

Looking at the impact on China: A turning point from "chasing" to "setting the rules"

For China, this is not just about "getting a certificate," but directly seizing the "voice" of the future. First, energy security no longer needs to be worried about. Now, we still need to import oil and natural gas, and if the international situation changes, the energy supply could be affected. But with controllable nuclear fusion, it's like having a "permanent battery" at home. No matter how the outside world fluctuates, our factories can still run, and our cities can still shine.

Secondly, manufacturing will be "overwhelming." Do you know how much electricity high-energy-consuming industries consume? Steelmaking, chemical industry, chip manufacturing — electricity costs make up a large part of the cost. If the cost of nuclear fusion power generation becomes nearly zero, the cost of these industries in China will be halved, making it impossible for other countries to compete. At that time, it won't be "Made in China," but "China-defined manufacturing."

More importantly, the technology will "spill over." To achieve the "artificial sun," we need to independently develop advanced superconducting magnets, special materials, and high-power power supplies. These technologies, when applied to other fields, can create a series of new industries — such as more advanced medical equipment and more efficient new energy batteries, driving the overall industrial upgrade.

In the international arena, we have transformed from "participants" to "decision-makers." There is a major global project called ITER, dedicated to nuclear fusion. Previously, we could only follow others' learning, but now, because of the breakthrough of EAST, other countries must cooperate with us, and the rules must be determined together. This is what "technical strength makes the backbone strong."

Some people say, "This is China wanting to become the ruler of the Earth," which is too exaggerated, but the core is not wrong — not military "domination," but energy and technological "leadership."

Once controlled nuclear fusion becomes commercialized, what will China look like? Perhaps areas in the north that lack water can use unlimited electricity for desalination, turning them into habitable cities; perhaps we can mass-produce "green hydrogen" and "green steel," holding the environmental standards in our own hands; even build bases on the moon and develop rare resources on asteroids.

Of course, it's not yet time to celebrate. From experiments to commercial power generation, it may take several decades. But the key point is, we have already joined the first tier, and are running ahead.

In short, previous achievements allowed us to run first on someone else's track. But the "artificial sun" is a new track we built ourselves, and only we can run at full speed. That's the most impressive part.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7566858695884259850/

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