Science
Fusion Energy Quiz
ITER, NIF, tokamaks — 50 questions on the energy source that's getting closer
ITER, NIF, tokamaks — 50 questions on the energy source that's getting closer
NIF achieved fusion ignition in December 2022 — getting more energy out than the lasers put in for the first time in human history. On December 5, 2022, 192 high-powered lasers at Lawrence Livermore's National Ignition Facility delivered 2.05 megajoules to a tiny fuel pellet and got back 3.15 megajoules — a gain of more than 1.5, clearing the ignition threshold. It was a landmark moment in 70 years of fusion research, even though the broader facility's energy use meant the plant-level Q-factor was still far below 1. Meanwhile, the $22 billion ITER project under construction in France and a wave of private startups are racing toward commercial fusion power. This quiz covers it all — from the physics of plasma confinement to the companies betting billions on fusion's future.
Each round presents 10 randomized questions from a pool of 50, with four multiple-choice options and instant feedback after every answer. Your final score comes with a performance tier and shareable results.
You'll cover the D-T fusion reaction and E=mc², tokamaks and stellarators, the Lawson criterion, JET's fusion energy records, NIF's ignition breakthrough, ITER's design and timeline, Commonwealth Fusion Systems' SPARC reactor, Helion Energy's Microsoft deal, the Pons-Fleischmann cold fusion controversy, tritium breeding from lithium, and what remains to be solved before fusion powers the grid.
The National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory achieved fusion ignition on December 5, 2022, obtaining 3.15 megajoules of energy from a fuel capsule hit by 2.05 megajoules of laser energy. This was the first time in history that more fusion energy was released than the laser energy delivered to the target — a scientific milestone known as ignition.
A tokamak is a doughnut-shaped (toroidal) magnetic confinement device that uses powerful magnetic fields to confine hot plasma where nuclear fusion reactions can occur. The name is a Russian acronym. Tokamaks are the dominant approach to magnetic confinement fusion and are used in JET, ITER, and many experimental reactors worldwide.
ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) is a giant tokamak being built in Cadarache, France, by a collaboration of 35 nations including the EU, US, China, India, Japan, South Korea, and Russia. When completed, it aims to produce 500 megawatts of fusion power from 50 MW of input — a Q-factor of 10. It is the most complex scientific construction project in history.
Last updated: May 2026