Additionally, the heat engines that fission power plants use to convert fission energy into electricity (i.e., heat produces steam which turns a turbine) are incredibly inefficient. Another challenge for nuclear fission is optics and government backing. Demand for nuclear power has been heavily impacted by nuclear accidents. Today, nuclear power... See more

One of the biggest challenges for nuclear fission is economic: New plants take years to build and cost billions of dollars. A number of factors contribute to nuclear fission’s economic challenges, which have only increased over the past few decades. In addition to the obvious capital costs, onerous regulations stretch out the development times for... See more

EXPLOREWORK IN PROGRESSThe Forgotten Stage of Human ProgressInvention is easily overrated, and implementation is often underrated.By Derek ThompsonA light bulb shatters.Al Barry / Stringer / GettyMAY 11, 2022SHARESign up for Derek’s newsletter here.What if we invented a technology to save the planet—and the world refused to use it?This haunting... See more