S2E3: Falling for Fusion

🎙️ 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 ITER, and the surprising role AI might play in the future of clean energy. Featuring insights from ITER 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.

🚀 Ever wondered how scientists are trying to recreate the power of the sun on Earth? In this latest episode, we dive into the fascinating world of tokamaks - donut-shaped magnetic cages that could be the key to unlimited clean energy! Join host Kruti as she unravels the mysteries of fusion with expert insights from ITER scientists and her collaborator Jack Moore, 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. Listen now! 🌞

The ITER Podcast is back! Season 3 dives into the science behind fusion at ITER, looking at topics such as plasma behavior, the power of super-conducting magnets, and what's really inside a Tokamak's vacuum chamber.    Each detailed episode will be published once a month where you'll hear different experts from ITER answering questions in a way that's easy to understand.   Interviews by Kruti M. Fayot , co-produced by Julia Ponomareva, and in collaboration with Jack Moore.     Like, subscribe and comment to let us know what topics within fusion energy interest you.    Full Episode on Tokamaks will drop today. Stay tuned!

This special 8-minute episode features the Private & Public Fusion Workshop that was held from May 27-29 at ITER. 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.   Available to listen to on the ITER Website, Spotify, Podbean, Apple, and all your favorite podcast channels!

A terrific experiment in the making since decades, ITER is a giant not only in sheer size, but in knowledge, complexity, and inspiration.    In this last episode of Season 2, we take a look at how Laban Coblentz, the Communications Director at ITER is bringing its existence into the limelight.  In this interview, we speak about not only the challenges, but also his objectives and personal motivations for the organization. 

Meet the ITER Spouses - five women & man from India, China, Korea, Belgium and the Netherlands who speak about their journeys of moving to the small Provençal towns in and around Manosque to support their spouses on this fantastic voyage into the ITER World. From raising children, learning the ropes of living in Provence, rebuilding identities, and taking life into their own hands, this episode is perfect for other families who may move to ITER in the future, for other expats or for the simply curious. 

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?    The love for coding and human collaboration! In this episode, I follow middle and high schoolers to the annual competition in Provence known as ITER Robots, where about 500 students are competing to make the best robots ever - ones that mimic the challenges at ITER such as remote handling.   The bright youth share their journey, enthusiasm and their take on a potential future filled with AI and robots. Next, I speak with the co-organizer of the competition, Sophie Soufflet-Jacquis, following a warm-hearted finale of song and speech which wraps up the event in all its originality. 

This episode speaks with 2 young fusion enthusiasts who come from two distinct backgrounds yet convey a similar sense of purpose and passion for fusion - communicator Harry Kelso from the US and physics student Aleksandar Stojcheski from Macedonia. We speak about how they fell for fusion, how the youth perceives this energy source and what advice they'd give to other students and professionals who are curious about fusion.  

This interview takes us along to the heart of The ITER’ World - the assembly hall and Tokamak Pit, where a group of visitors from France, Thailand and the Netherlands have decided to come to Provence on their holiday and visit the ITER construction site. They give their impressions about ITER’s impressive goals and their honest take on nuclear fusion energy. Next, we speak to one of ITER’s visit guides, Kirsten Haupt who gives us insight into why so many people - both scientists and laymen - come to visit the site, who they are, and what her experience is as a guide at one the world’s largest human collaborations to date. From the Outside In, learn more about the inner workings of ITER and join in this audio tour!

Welcome to Season 2, The ITER World from The ITER Podcast. The first episode of this Season follows three exceptional women who have dominated their field and are pursuing their aspirations with ITER. The host, Kruti Mawani Fayot, speaks with engineers Aakanksha Saxena and Karina Vergara not only about the challenges, but also the advantages they have encountered as pioneers in nuclear fusion energy. Shira Tabachnikoff, ITER’s communication manager and co-founder of Women in Fusion, joins the discussion on the importance of creating a community for women in STEM and nuclear fusion fields. Descend with us in to THE ITER WORLD on the website, World Radio Paris, Youtube, and all your favorite podcast channels.