Concept Borrowed From Video Games Leads To Fusion Energy Breakthrough

> Drawing from algorithmic innovations in the video game industry, researchers from the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) in South Korea were able to **achieve a 15x increase in computation speed in predicting where and when particles would collide in nuclear fusion reactions.** Specifically, the scientists adapted collision detection algorithms, which are fundamental calculations done in video games to produce realistic models of how objects interact in space.

> Predicting particle collision is vital for progressing fusion technology. The quest for profitable fusion energy has long been stymied by fusion’s high energy and computational costs, and the high costs of current fusion reactors. As the scientists stated in their press release, fusion reactors require the injection of extremely high-energy particles; while collisions between particles are desired, the energy of the particles makes collisions with reactors walls highly likely, too. Particles that hit reactor walls may destabilize the reaction, reduce the effectiveness of the fusion process, or even harm the reactor. This algorithmic advancement could allow engineers and scientists to **make reactors safer, more efficient, and more stable.**

Finally something I can point at when my boomer parents ask me for a utilitarian based argument for video games as a benefit to society!