Yesterday, North Korea’s official state media reported that the country had successfully carried out nuclear fusion, the holy grail of cheap, clean energy that has heretofore eluded every other scientist ever.
North Korea described their success in creating a “unique thermo-nuclear reaction device,” going beyond the mere demonstration of the process, which several teams have accomplished before. The announcement coincided with the birthday of North Korea’s founder, Kim Il-sung. A world-changing scientific breakthrough? Best birthday present ever!
But the rest of the world has received the report with skepticism. The BBC was quick to remind that “North Korea is one of the world’s poorest countries and struggles to generate enough electricity for lighting and other basic needs.”
A South Korean nuclear expert quoted by Reuters was somewhat cheekier in his dismissal: “Maybe if two suns show up in the sky tomorrow, then people could believe the claim.” If you were a nuclear physicist, you’d know that’s a real zinger. [BBC]
Image via Big Picture
