The nuclear reactor in your basement

What a wonderful description of the new theory behind Low Energy Nuclear Reactions, which used to be known as cold fusion.

Essentially ...

"We start by processing nickel so that it can hold hydrogen the way a sponge holds water. The hydrogen is ionized, meaning that each hydrogen atom has its electron stripped away, leaving only a proton. Electrons in the metal are made to oscillate together in such a way that the electromagnetic energy stored in tens of thousands of them is transferred to a relative few, giving them enough energy to merge with nearby protons (the hydrogen ions) and form slow-moving neutrons. Those neutrons, as we noted, are immediately captured by nuclei of the metal atoms, setting in motion a chain of events which turns the nickel into copper and releases useful energy."

When Widom-Larsen Weak Interaction LENR Theory is better understood ...

"One percent of the nickel mined each year could meet the world's energy requirements at around a quarter of the cost of coal."

Hopefully, renewable energy costs will be even lower, but LENR is far, far better than fossil fuels regarding climate change, and space exploration - which is why NASA is sponsoring the research.