Fusion: Homeward Bound, The Last Light Show, Burnout Blues

Curiosity Weekly

Warner Bros. Discovery

Self-improvement, Science, Astronomy, Education

4.6 • 935 Ratings

🗓️ 15 June 2022

⏱️ 13 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Today, you’ll learn about how the next step in nuclear fusion is actually a real estate question, how the death of our sun would be a beautiful thing to see if we were around to witness it, and how an athlete’s desire for perfection can lead to them burning out with their sport altogether.

Nuclear plants near the nuclear family.

“The World's First Nuclear Fusion Power Plant Is Coming” by Caroline Delbert
- https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/energy/a34850835/worlds-first-nuclear-fusion-power-plant/
“The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) has asked residents in five areas to provide feedback on potential plans to construct a prototype nuclear fusion power plant.” by Jack Loughran
- https://eandt.theiet.org/content/articles/2022/01/locations-for-the-uk-s-first-fusion-energy-power-plant-revealed

A new take on sun flares.

“Scientists Figured Out How And When Our Sun Will Die, And It's Going to Be Epic” by Michelle Starr
- https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-figured-out-how-and-when-our-sun-will-die-and-it-s-going-to-be-epic
“Sun 'will flare into massive planetary nebula when it dies,” by Ian Sample
- https://www.theguardian.com/science/2018/may/07/sun-will-flare-into-massive-planetary-nebula-when-it-dies
“Celestial Objects: Nebulae” by SeaSky
- http://www.seasky.org/celestial-objects/nebulae.html

Perfection can be dangerous.

“Obsession with failure and hunt for perfection linked to burnout” by University of Essex
- https://www.essex.ac.uk/news/2022/04/22/obsession-with-failure-linked-to-burnout
“What Causes Athlete Burnout? A New Study Suggests Perfectionism Plays A Role” By Victoria Forster
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/victoriaforster/2022/04/22/what-causes-athlete-burnout-a-new-study-suggests-perfectionism-plays-a-role/?sh=2ba2544f2152

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Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/fusion-homeward-bound-the-last-light-show-burnout-blues

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, you're about to get smarter in just a few minutes with Curiosity Daily from Discovery.
0:09.0	Time flies when you're learning super cool stuff. I'm Nate.
0:12.0	And I'm Callie. If you're dropping in for the
0:14.0	first time welcome to curiosity where we aim to blow your mind by helping you to grow your mind. And if you're
0:19.7	a loyal listener, welcome back. Today you'll learn about how the next step in nuclear
0:24.3	fusion is actually a real estate question, how the death of our son would be a
0:28.2	beautiful thing to see if we were around to witness it, and how an athlete's
0:32.4	desire for perfection can lead them to
0:34.5	burning out with their sport altogether.
0:37.1	Without further ado, let's satisfy some curiosity.
0:40.0	Callie, remember a few weeks back when I brought in those donuts to show the shape of a common fusion reactor?
0:45.5	How could I forget? You told me you brought donuts and then told me they were food-free donuts.
0:50.5	Meanwhile, I'm not really a donut person.
0:53.0	I do love bringing a visual aid to a podcast recording.
0:56.0	And today's is a map.
0:57.0	Take a look at this map of the UK.
0:59.0	Do you see any places a little less than half a mile square
1:02.0	with good access to the power grid and room
1:04.9	to build in a few layers of safety in case of a fusion reaction going wrong.
1:08.7	Oh so that's what this is about. Maybe they're looking for a home for that new fusion reactor?
1:14.0	That's right. UK Energy developers are working on choosing a location for what they believe
1:18.8	will be the world's first fusion reactor. They're expecting it won't go live for more than a decade, but hope that picking
	...

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