Can quantum computing help unlock fusion energy on Earth?
Kai visits a tokamak – to find out!
First, though, he goes to Chile, to the Atacama Desert, where amongst cacti and lamas, two remarkable observatories explore the wonders of the Universe.
Back in the studio, MIT physicist Peter Fisher explains why fusion is so difficult, especially when it comes to simulating plasma, where vast numbers of particles interact at extreme speeds. Today’s classical computers struggle with this complexity. This is where quantum computing comes in. Quantum systems could simulate plasma in fundamentally new ways, helping scientists better understand and control fusion reactions. Researchers are already beginning to explore this connection, combining quantum simulations with traditional methods.
