Scientists Say They've Figured Out a Way to Turn Nuclear Waste Into a Powerful Fuel

Scientists have developed a method to convert nuclear waste into tritium fuel for fusion reactors. Los Alamos physicist Terence Tarnowsky proposes using a superconducting linear accelerator with molten lithium to extract tritium from radioactive waste, potentially producing ten times more tritium than fusion reactors while also breaking down dangerous waste. This dual-purpose solution addresses both the scarcity of tritium and the expensive storage of nuclear waste, though critics note fusion power remains years away from practical implementation.