[JD_UTDallas]

Right nuclear energy is literally the stored energy of gravitational collapse of the parent supernova it is in that final gravitational collapse that all elements with atomic mass greater than iron are created as the balance of gravity and nuclear fusion is lost and gravity wins. These engines of creation then spew these new elements to the cosmos. We are all quite literally star dust as the iron in our blood was created in our parent supernova as well.

Interesting point is that nuclear energy uses these heavy atoms created by a star and splits them into lighter atoms thus reversing what gravity has pushed together. So nuclear power is still very much solar power it is only the equivalent of fossil fuels of the stars.

The binding curve of matter is arguably humanities greatest scientific achievement pretty much all other quantum mechanics is derived from that single understanding. Once a species understands the binding curve it has the ability to power its expansion into the cosmos via Fission and Fusion plus antimatter or to blow itself up in the most grotesque fashion. It is a test that all intelligent species must face at some point.

[Sherman Logan]

And of course Fermi postulated that the reason we have no evidence that ET life exists is that other species have failed this test.