Can quantum computing help unlock fusion energy on Earth?

Why can't we simulate the Sun, and could quantum computers help us build a star on Earth? Watch Kai visit a tokamak to find out.

First, though, he heads to the Atacama Desert in Chile, where, among cacti and llamas, two remarkable observatories explore the wonders of the universe. Starting at Paranal and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), Kai ponders how stars shine through nuclear fusion. That question takes him all the way to Japan, to the largest operational fusion reactor in the world, the JT-60SA tokamak, to see how scientists are trying to achieve fusion energy right here on Earth.

Back in the studio, MIT physicist Peter Fisher explains why fusion is so difficult, especially when it comes to simulating plasma, where vast numbers of particles interact at extreme speeds. Today's classical computers struggle with this complexity, and that's exactly where quantum computing comes in.

Quantum systems could simulate plasma in fundamentally new ways, helping scientists better understand and control fusion reactions. Researchers are already exploring this connection, combining quantum simulations with traditional methods.

Chapters:
0:00 Why can't we simulate the Sun?
0:49 Seeing the invisible: inside Chile's observatories
2:32 Inside a real fusion reactor in Japan
8:53 How quantum computing could crack fusion
17:24 What comes next for fusion energy

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