Sun in a Bottle, Charles Seife
Sun in a Bottle, Charles Seife
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Sun in a Bottle
The Strange History of Fusion and the Science of Wishful Thinking

Author: Charles Seife

Narrator: Bill Weideman

Unabridged: 8 hr 31 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download (DRM Protected)

Published: 10/30/2008

Synopsis

When weapons builders detonated the first hydrogen bomb in 1952, they tapped into the biggest source of energy in our solar system – the phenomenon that makes the sun shine. Nuclear fusion seems a virtually unlimited source of power, but it has been at the center of a tragic and comic pursuit that has left scores of scientists battered and disgraced. Like the eternal quest to build a perpetual motion machine, the dream of harnessing the energy of a miniature star is irresistible. Not only would a fusion energy device give the world endless electrical power, it would give power to its inventors – financial power, the power of fame, even military might. Right now the world’s richest countries are spending billions of dollars trying to build a giant fusion reactor. Yet if history is any guide, the money will not bring the dream of fusion energy within reach. Indeed, the quest for fusion energy has been a failure, generation after generation. Fusion is at the heart of some of the biggest scientific scandals of all time, and Charles Seife traces its story from its beginning into the twenty-first century. Even after fusion scientists face defeat after defeat, they continue trying to put the sun in a bottle, hoping against hope that they will succeed where others have failed. The science of wishful thinking is as strong as ever, and this book is our key to understanding why.

About Charles Seife

Charles Seife is the author of Decoding the Universe, Alpha & Omega, and Zero, which won the PEN/Martha Albrand Award for first nonfiction book and was named a New York Times Notable Book. An associate professor of journalism at New York University, he has written for Science magazine, New Scientist, Scientific American, The Economist, Wired, The Sciences and many other publications. He lives in New York City.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Odette on February 28, 2017

This book starts of a bit slow and hard to read - but hey it is about nuclear fusion so I was not expecting a easy read. I was not expecting to read so much about the atomic bombs at the start of this book, but it is logical - it is where the idea of nuclear fusion starts. This book takes you through......more

Goodreads review by Ann on May 21, 2014

There are plenty of books about the discovery of radioactivity, the Manhattan project, the atomic bomb and nuclear fission in general. This book focuses on fission's lesser-known cousin, nuclear fusion, the process that generates the energy we receive from the sun and other stars. The red thread thr......more

Goodreads review by Cav on March 22, 2021

"There’s something uniquely powerful about the promise of fusion energy. It harks back to the ancient quest to build a perpetual motion machine, but this time the source of unlimited energy doesn’t violate the laws of physics. To anyone who could harness the energy of a miniature star, fusion promis......more

Goodreads review by Becky on May 30, 2021

Audiobook read by Bill Weideman. Excellent narration. Huh …. Wow …. Had no idea there has been so much failure in attempting to get fusion to work. I studied nuclear engineering in college 15 years ago and recall the professors mention several times that fusion power may be a viable career option ca......more

Goodreads review by Dave on July 01, 2024

Engrossing insider’s look into the fact and fiction of usable, scalable fusion power. Beyond a standard popular science book, the author has done an amazing job of injecting the human side of the story. Highly recommended.......more

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