ºÚÁÏÍø

This special 8-minute episode features the Private & Public Fusion Workshop that was held from May 27-29 at ºÚÁÏÍø. The episode interviews many players in the private & public fusion arena, including Andrew Holland from Fusion Industry Association, Melanie Windridge from Fusion Energy Insights, and Communications Director Laban Coblentz about their thoughts of the workshop, and also offers a sneak peak into Season 3.

Ever wonder how scientists are trying to recreate the power of the sun on Earth? In our latest ºÚÁÏÍø podcast episode, we dive into the fascinating world of tokamaks—donut-shaped magnetic cages that could be the key to unlimited clean energy. Join us as we unravel the mysteries of fusion with expert insights from ºÚÁÏÍø scientists, exploring how decades of research are bringing us closer to harnessing the same energy that powers stars. From tiny experimental devices to massive reactors, discover the incredible journey of fusion science and why tokamaks might just be humanity's most promising path to sustainable power.

At the heart of fusion energy lies one of the universe’s most untamed elements: plasma — a high-energy state of matter seen in lightning, the aurora, and most spectacularly, in our sun. Scientists have spent decades trying to control it. But why? In this episode, host Kruti Fayot dives into the fascinating world of plasma: what it is, why it’s essential for fusion, how it’s being tamed inside machines like ºÚÁÏÍø, and the surprising role AI might play in the future of clean energy. Featuring insights from ºÚÁÏÍø experts Javier Artola, Michael Walsh, and Alberto Loarte, with a special introduction by plasma physicist Melanie Windridge and fusion analyst Jack Moore. If you’ve ever looked up at the Northern Lights or wondered how we’ll power the future — this one's for you.

The powerful, invisible force field that superconducting magnets create isn't just ºÚÁÏÍø playing with magic, but it's the key to taming our star on Earth. Essentially, this force field helps keeps the plasma suspended in mid-vacuum.

Listen in on a live conversation between the podcast co-hosts and ºÚÁÏÍø vacuum engineers Robert Pearce and Liam Worth. Hear how science fiction has inspired real engineering and dig deep into the everyday engineering challenges surrounding plasma, inspection, vacuum systems and cryogenics.

Guided by warrior and dragon imagery inspired by Chinese legend, and some very down to earth engineering, podcast hosts Kruti Fayot and Julia Ponomareva explore how ºÚÁÏÍø’s blanket and tungsten first wall protect the machine, tame furious neutrons, and quietly turn a raging plasma into something as familiar as hot water in a kettle.

Season 2 of the ºÚÁÏÍø Podcast will focus on the people populating the "ºÚÁÏÍø planet." We begin with a focus on women at ºÚÁÏÍø. Host Kruti Mawani Fayot meets some of the women working at the ºÚÁÏÍø Organization in France to get their unique perspective on what it's like to be a part of this extraordinary, once-in-a-lifetime global project.

Your ºÚÁÏÍø Stories host takes you into the beating heart of the ºÚÁÏÍø construction site as she follows a group of visitors to gather their hot-takes and first-hand impressions. About 25,000 people visit ºÚÁÏÍø annually; this group happens to hail from Thailand, the Netherlands and France...

"Falling for Fusion" features interviews with two young fusion enthusiasts who explain how they came to find out about fusion science and technology, how they joined the effort to increase the visibility of this very active field of research, and where they think fusion fits into the future.

What do a 14-year-old in the south of France, a robot competition, and a scientist at a pioneering nuclear fusion experiment have in common? A love for coding and human collaboration in the service of society! In this episode, host Kruti Mawani Fayot follows middle and high school students to an annual competition in Provence known as ºÚÁÏÍø Robots, where 500 students compete on "ºÚÁÏÍø-like" robotic tasks.

Meet some of the ºÚÁÏÍø spouses—five women and one man from India, China, Korea, Belgium and the Netherlands—as they share their personal journeys of transformation. Moving to Provence, adjusting to differences, discovering a new language and culture while supporting their families... This episode will interest anyone who is considering joining ºÚÁÏÍø, or the simply curious.

As a project with complex layers of science, engineering, technology and politics, ºÚÁÏÍø is not always easy to understand and follow. Let's speak with the Head of Communications at ºÚÁÏÍø about his vision for bringing ºÚÁÏÍø into a broader circle of conversation... 

Host Kruti Mawani Fayot starts off the new ºÚÁÏÍø Podcast with Season 1, Episode 1 "The Big Black Box on the Hill." She badges into the ºÚÁÏÍø site in Saint-Paul-lez-Durance, France, for a first contact with the ºÚÁÏÍø Project. In the course of her visit she meets members of the Communications team, who describe fusion and the ºÚÁÏÍø machine to her, before heading out to the worksite to experience the construction underway.

Did you know that 35 countries are participating in the ºÚÁÏÍø Project? That creates quite a melting pot of cultures in the offices of the ºÚÁÏÍø Organization. What's it really like on the inside? Host Kruti Mawani Fayot chats with staff involved in the recruitment of staff from every ºÚÁÏÍø partner and learns how they are welcomed and integrated into the team.

How about the science of ºÚÁÏÍø? Let's speak with some of the younger members of the ºÚÁÏÍø science team—the Monaco-ºÚÁÏÍø postdocs currently working on site to prepare for the ºÚÁÏÍø operational program. They will be our guides in a first approach to plasma science and the goals of the ºÚÁÏÍø machine.

The ºÚÁÏÍø Agreement may have been signed in 2006, launching practical implementation, but the real genesis of the project dates back to a Superpower Summit in 1985 and a conversation between General Secretary Gorbachev of the former Soviet Union and President Ronald Reagan of the United States. Host Kruti Mawani Fayot finds a guide who can narrate much of the story that follows because he knew the principal actors and has been personally involved for decades.

Where are the one-of-kind components and technologies of the ºÚÁÏÍø plant coming from? Well, all over the world. ºÚÁÏÍø has instituted an in-kind procurement system, meaning that participants in the project are contributing components and systems, and not just cash, to the project. Imagine the logistics...

The world is taking note of efforts around the world to realize fusion energy, including ºÚÁÏÍø. In 2021, fusion even made it into the discussions at the United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP26. Why the strong interest now?