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By reconstructing a nearly forgotten 1938 experiment, scientists have uncovered new significance in an early observation of deuterium-tritium fusion that still shapes nuclear science today. (Artist’s concept). Credit: SciTechDaily.com Physicists confirm DT fusion insights from a 1938 experiment. The findings connect past theory with current fusion efforts. A team at Los Alamos National Laboratory has successfully recreated a significant yet largely overlooked physics experiment: the first recorded observation of deuterium-tritium (DT) fusion. Their updated version of the 1938 experiment, recently detailed in Physical Review C, reaffirms the pivotal role of University of Michigan physicist Arthur Ruhlig. Ruhlig’s original work likely...

Two big ideas often come up in discussions about the search for extraterrestrial intelligence, or SETI. One is the Drake Equation, which estimates the number of civilizations in our Galaxy whose signals we might be able to detect--potentially thousands, according to plausible estimates. The other is the so-called Fermi paradox, which claims that we should see intelligent aliens here if they exist anywhere, because they would inevitably colonize the Galaxy by star travel--and since we don't see any obvious signs of aliens here, searching for their signals is pointless. The Drake Equation is perfectly genuine: it was created by astronomer...