Nuclear Fusion Heating Up

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Researchers, at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in the US, say they have had a breakthrough in the quest for nuclear fusion. They are on a mission to recreate a tiny sun, concentrating massive laser power onto a tiny pellet of fuel. Now the scientists report in the journal Nature that they have been able to get more energy out than they put in to the nuclear fuel for the first time - the experiment itself consumes large amounts of power, so this isn’t yet an energy generator. Dr Mark Herrmann from the Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque New Mexico joins Jon Stewart on the programme. Global Interbreeding Map A new, global, map showing the genetic adventures of some of our ancestors is available online, thanks to a new study into human interbreeding throughout history. The interactive site details the genetic histories of 95 different groups or populations. Dr Garrett Hellenthal reports in the journal Science that the results can be used to track empires expanding, armies invading or mass migrations along popular trade routes. Biggest Physics Experiment Ever The biggest physics experiment in the world could be getting bigger as researchers at CERN reveal plans of a massive new particle accelerator to replace the Large Hadron Collider, made famous by the discovery of the Higgs boson. Roland Pease finds out more. (Picture caption: Hohlraum geometry with a capsule inside through the cut-away of the hohlraum wall ©LLNL)