From Youtube:
In a remarkable public lecture in 1920, Arthur Eddington speculated that fusion might become the ultimate long-term energy source. More than a century later, we are approaching the milestone of generating electricity from fusion for the first time. The US National Academies have urged that “the Department of Energy and the private sector should produce net electricity in a fusion plant in the United States in the 2035–2040 timeframe.” This is an ambitious goal—but recent breakthroughs in both magnetic and inertial fusion, combined with a surge of private-sector investment, suggest that success may be within reach. In this talk, I will outline the progress made and the challenges that remain.

This lecture was recorded in the Martin Wood lecture theatre, Department of Physics at the University of Oxford on 29 May 2025.