The first plasma: the Wendelstein 7-X fusion device is now in operation

The first plasma in the machine had a duration of one tenth of a second and achieved a temperature of around one million degrees. “We’re very satisfied”, concludes Dr. Hans-Stephan Bosch, whose division is responsible for the operation of the Wendelstein 7-X, at the end of the first day of experimentation. “Everything went according to plan.”

This announcement from Germany is BIG news. They successfully triggered a plasma reaction at roughly 1million degrees. As this machine and this facility continues to develop they will eventually be able to produce nuclear fusion — the power of the sun! Clean and perpetual energy.

This machine is only 52 feet long. It will probably have to be half that size to start being commercially available, but this means that potentially my grandchildren might be able to have all the energy they need and there will be no power lines, or gas combustion machines necessary at all.

Color me excited!

http://www.ipp.mpg.de/3984226/12_15

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Author: Matt Cromwell

I help product businesses turn customer insight into better experiences that keep people renewing year after year. I co-founded GiveWP, growing it into the leading online donations platform for WordPress. After its acquisition by StellarWP, I became Senior Director of Customer Experience, scaling those same data-driven systems across flagship brands like LearnDash, KadenceWP, and The Events Calendar. Beyond my formal roles, I co-host WP Product Talk, a weekly show where WordPress founders share what works (and what doesn’t) in growing sustainable products. I’ve also spoken at WordCamps and CloudFest EU, helping teams connect customer experience with product strategy so every decision moves the business forward. Over a decade in customer experience and product growth, my focus hasn’t changed: connect what customers feel with how teams build — and turn that alignment into meaningful, measurable growth.

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