today, representatives of the EU the USA, Japan, China, Russia, India and South-Korea signed a multi-billion-euro contract to build ITER, the long discussed and anticipated prototype of a fusion-reactor.

ITER, that will be built in Cadarache in southern France, will (hopefully) start a new era of energy production, allowing us to tap a virtually unlimited source of energy for the world. Without radiation, long-term nuclear waste or environmental dangers. It’s clean and free, uses hydrogen and produces helium. Just like its big brother, the sun.

I have been looking forward to this since I know what nuclear fusion (see Tokamak reactors) is. For some 10 years now I heard them talk about and followed the development of ITER. I’m so excited. :)