Fusion and Fission 101
     CAN'T FATHOM FISSION?  FUSION GOT YOU FEELING FUNKY?  WE HEAR THE
WORDS FISSION AND FUSION ALL THE TIME BUT NOT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS WHAT
THEY MEAN.  HERE'S A SECRET, BUT DON'T TELL ANYONE, THE DIFFERENCE IS REALLY
EASY.  FISSION IS WHEN THE NUCLEUS OF ONE BIG ATOM SPLITS INTO TWO AND
FUSION IS WHEN TWO SMALL NUCLEI SQUEEZE INTO ONE.  THIS WOULDN'T BE ALL
THAT EXCITING IF IT WEREN'T FOR ONE THING: 

(SFX: fanfare)

     Bangerter: "E=mc2"

     WHICH JUST MEANS THAT 
     Bangerter: "Mass can be converted into energy."
     ROGER BANGERTER IS HEAD OF THE FUSION ENERGY RESEARCH LAB AT
LAWRENCE BERKELEY LABS.  HE EXPLAINS THAT AFTER ATOMS FISSION OR FUSION
THERE'S ALWAYS LESS MATTER AT THE END OF THE PROCESS THAN THERE WAS AT THE
BEGINNING.  THAT MISSING MATTER DOESN'T JUST DISAPPEAR, IT HAS TO GO
SOMEWHERE. 

     Bangerter: "And so by Einstein's relation that has to be converted to energy."

     IT'S THE HUGE AMOUNTS OF ENERGY FROM FUSION THAT KEEP THE SUN
BURNING.   FISSION, ON THE OTHER HAND, DOESN'T JUST OCCUR NATURALLY BUT WE
HAVE LEARNED HOW TO FORCE IT TO HAPPEN IN POWER PLANTS WHERE WE
HARNESS THE ENERGY FOR ELECTRICITY.  SCIENTISTS WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO
MAKE FUSION POWER PLANTS, TOO, SINCE FUSION IS BOTH CHEAPER AND CLEANER. 
SO FAR NO ONE HAS BEEN ABLE TO BUILD AN EFFICIENT FUSION REACTOR BUT
BANGERTER IS ONE OF THE SCIENTISTS WHO HOPES TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.