We are rather fortunate that we are living and going to
school in a place like Boston where we have all of these amazing learning tools
right around the corner from us. A prime example of this is how MIT is just one
T-stop and short walk away from us. I am really glad that our class got the
chance to go on the MIT Fusion Lab Tour because I learned and saw things that I
never had before.

The tour started with us learning a little background
information on what fusion actually is; which before this I really had no clue!
Since a young age I was taught that there are three states that matter can be
found in; a solid, liquid, and gas. Leave it to an MIT student to teach me that
there is a fourth state of matter, PLASMA. Matter changes from one state to the
next by a process of heat/energy being added to it so, when heat/ energy is
added to gaseous matter it turns into plasma. Plasma is what is manipulated in
a fusion reaction and that is why it is so important.

 

 

 

 

 

We know that the process of fusion occurs naturally in the
sun and stars. This process is actually what keeps these celestial bodies lit
up. By studying these natural fusion processes scientists have been working tirelessly
to recreate the same thing in a lab setting. This is what the MIT Fusion Lab is doing.

MIT’s most remarkable device is Alcator C-mod which is a tokamak.
Tokamak in Russian means toroidal magnetic chamber. This device confines plasma
in a doughnut shape and operated with a really strong magnetic field. At the
MIT Fusion Lab they work with this device in the hopes of containing nuclear
power; the same process as aforementioned that powers our sun and stars. Being
able to do this would be hugely beneficial because fusion produces very little
waste and would provide a nearly limitless supply of energy. This would be a
great direction for the world to move in because it would help us with many of
the current problems we are dealing with when it comes to sustainability and
global warming.

Here are some pictures I took while the tour:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Above is a picture of the control room which would got to spend a lot of time in)