The fission process is much more efficient at producing energy than chemical burning processes (such as coal consumption) that fuel our soceity. If we could discover how to use fusion safely and at low temperatures we could revolutionize energy usage here on Earth.

Fusion works by converting mass into energy, according to Einstein's well known equation E = mc. Through fusion, even a small amount of matter can produce a significant amount of energy. We measure energy in units of ergs (gram cm per sec), so a gram of matter can be converted into 9.0 × 10 ergs of energy. (Recall that the speed of light, c, is equal to 3.0 × 10 cm per second.)

How much energy is an erg? An erg is rather small by conventional standards. A light-bulb runs on 10 ergs per second, a car requires 10 ergs per second, and our American society consumes 10 ergs per second.