| I’ve been lucky enough to see some of the world’s most amazing technologies up close. Back when it was still the stuff of science fiction, I watched AI ace a biology test. I’ve seen genetically modified mosquitoes that block malaria. I’ve stood over a geothermal well that stretches 15,000 feet into the earth. |
| But nothing compares to the thrill of splitting—or fusing—atoms. |
| Fission and fusion sound similar, though in many ways they’re opposites. The former is the process of splitting atoms apart, while the latter is the process of fusing them together. But both release extraordinary amounts of energy without any greenhouse gases, and both could transform how the world is powered. |
| Fission is already generating safe, reliable electricity around the world, and TerraPower (which I founded) is building a next-generation reactor in Wyoming. Fusion, once thought to be forever out of reach, is now racing toward commercialization, with companies I support through Breakthrough Energy getting closer to putting fusion power on the grid. |
| It’s hard to overstate how big a deal this will be. Abundant, affordable clean electricity will improve lives everywhere—especially for people in the world’s poorest places. I believe the breakthroughs happening right now will usher in an energy renaissance to make that future possible. |
| You can read my full post on fusion, fission, and what comes next on Gates Notes now. |
| Thanks for being an Insider. |
