Nuclear fusion energy, the idea of copying the sun’s heat source on earth to make limitless commercial energy is famously always 30 years away. This month, the UK and US have agreed to combine the brains of their nuclear fusion supercomputers in an attempt to improve models of plasma behaviour using AI. Tom Whipple is joined by interim CEO of UKAEA Tim Bestwick to understand what challenges must be overcome to make commercialised nuclear fusion a reality.
With under a fortnight to go before the winner of the coveted Royal Society’s Trivedi Book Prize is announced, we are marking its imminent arrival by interviewing two shortlisted authors. Deborah Cohen, author of Bad Influence, warns how the internet can influence our health. Plus, Steve Ramirez, author of How to Change a Memory, reflects on a career studying the mechanisms of memory and how grief changed his perspective on its purpose.
Also on the show, have researchers finally found Nefertiti’s tomb? Nature Reporter Lizzie Gibney answers one of the most exciting questions in science news this week. To discover more fascinating science content, head to bbc.co.uk, search for BBC Inside Science and follow the links to The Open University.
Presenter: Tom Whipple Producers: Alex Mansfield, Tabitha Taylor Buck, Katie Tomsett Editor: Ilan Goodman Production Co-ordinator: Jana Bennett-Holesworth
