"The discovery of nuclear chain reactions need not bring about
the destruction of mankind any more than did the discovery of
matches. We only must do everything in our power to safeguard
against its abuse." One of the most mysterious phenomena in the
universe is the conversion of mass into energy. The whole
universe is "powered" by this process. The energy radiated by
stars, including the Sun, arises from nuclear reactions (called
fusion) deep in their interiors. The release of nuclear energy
occurs through the fusion of two light hydrogen nuclei into a
heavier nucleus of helium. The Solar and Heliospheric
Observatory Until about 1800, the principal fuel on our planet
was wood, its energy originating from solar energy stored in
plants during their Since the Industrial Revolution, people have
depended on fossil fuels—coal, petroleum, and natural gas—also
derived from stored solar energy. When a fossil fuel such as
coal is burned, atoms of hydrogen and carbon in the coal combine
with oxygen atoms in air. Water