SUN IN A BOTTLE The Strange History of Fusion and the Science of Wishful Thinking

Nuclear weapons were invented and deployed to end the U.S. war with Japan, but Edward Teller began a series of studies after WWII to discover peaceful uses for atomic energy. Fusion—the energy of the sun—showed the most promise to Teller but proved elusive in propagation and containment. Using plasma, magnets, and lasers, many men searched for the secret they called cold fusion. Narrator Bill Weideman disarms the potential intimidation of this complex topic by making the ideas conversational. His scientific vocabulary never falters, and his ability to sound like a teacher describing the historical parts of discovery make one want to keep listening. Without any complicated formulas or structures, the story of the taming of hydrogen's energy adapts well to a spoken experience. J.A.H. © AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine [Published: APRIL 2009]