Harnessing a Star’s Energy

Headington scientists explored the world of nuclear energy with a visit from a senior figure from the UK Atomic Energy Authority.

Dr Joe Milnes, Executive Director for Engineering and Computing, spoke to pupils from L5 and above on Monday 22nd April on the theme ‘harnessing a star’s energy’. Read a report from Alvina, L6, below.

The presentation by Dr Joe Milnes (UKAEA) on nuclear energy was truly inspiring, I gained significant insights into the complexities and importance of nuclear fusion power.

Dr Milnes shared the extremely fascinating engineering of tokamak and how Joint European Torus (JET) works.

The discussion on future challenges of nuclear fusion technology such as the radioactive damage to the walls and managing the extreme heat flow do make me acknowledge that we have to solve these seemingly impossible problems in order to power the world’s energy needs.

Learning about these technical challenges deepened my appreciation of the role of the UKAEA in advancing fusion energy.

This presentation not only expanded my knowledge but also heightened my respect for the engineers and scientists to make fusion a viable energy source for the future. Thank you, Dr Milnes, for this wonderful talk!