Stars are powered by nuclear fusion reactions in their incredibly hot interiors. Our human attempts to harness fusion energy on Earth have led us to a deep understanding of the physics of the fourth state of matter, plasma, of which stars and most of the visible universe
consists. This presentation will explain some of the science of plasma and the prospects for terrestrial fusion energy, but also address the two major motivations for this and all of science: our wonder and curiosity about the world, and our desire to live well in it.

With Ian Hutchinson, Professor of Nuclear Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). An international expert on the physics of plasmas, his research underlies the effort to generate practical energy from fusion reactions, the power source of the stars.