Chinese scientists have achieved a historic feat by maintaining plasma temperatures of more than 100 million degrees Celsius for nearly 18 minutes. This record win has been made at the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak, or EAST, which is also known as the "artificial sun.

The experiment appears to use hydrogen and deuterium gases to emulate a fusion process found in the Sun, that fuels the Sun. Creating and maintaining such extreme conditions brings the EAST project one step closer to making nuclear fusion a viable source of energy. This could potentially generate clean, nearly limitless power for the future.

Song Yuntao, the director of EAST, says that the plasma needs to become self-sustaining. "Fusion devices must operate stably for thousands of seconds to produce electricity," Song pointed out. But maintaining such high temperatures for extended periods is an enormous challenge. Scientists need to develop far more advanced materials, capable of handling the extreme conditions inside the reactor.

According to Professor Zhou Haishan, a prominent researcher, developing damage-resistant materials is a complex challenge. "It's a tough challenge to develop materials that can endure the intense heat and pressure required for fusion," Zhou explained. Advanced simulations will be key in testing these materials for long-term use.

Looking forward, the CNNC aims to develop an industrial prototype fusion reactor by 2035. The ultimate objective is to have fusion energy as commercially viable as possible by 2050. If successful, this technology will certainly revolutionize the energy industry.