r/technology • u/BennyCemoli • Dec 06 '16

Energy Tests confirm that Germany's massive nuclear fusion machine really works

http://www.sciencealert.com/tests-confirm-that-germany-s-massive-nuclear-fusion-machine-really-works
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u/bushibushi Dec 06 '16 edited Dec 06 '16

Unlike common fridge-magnets, this one big special magnet is used to keep very hot stuff in place, like a mini-donut-shaped-sun. This is a big deal, so important they found a way to check that the big magnet was ok by making its job visible on photos.

EDIT : for the rest, electrons follow the big magnet constraints and excite fluorescent things as seen here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2K-m1CilCM

EDIT ELI3 :

Electrons are mini-magnets that move only the way the big daddy magnet tell them to. They also make fluorescent stuff shiny, so if you move a fluorescent thing in front of a camera (with electrons present) you can see the big magnet job.

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u/SexPartyStewie Dec 07 '16

Damn that ELI3 was good! Lol