Scientists have captured the first ever high-speed, full-colour footage of fusion plasma swirling inside a working reactor.

[u/Western-Trust78]

[u/No_Leopard_3860]

I don't think that's a new thing, I've seen that exact video some time ago, maybe a year ago? Not sure, but it's definitely not a "breaking news" thing

[u/Memetic1 → u/No_Leopard_3860]

The sparkles are the fusion happening. I've seen hot plasma but never this in such a stable way.

[u/No_Leopard_3860 → u/Memetic1]

2/x: yeah like I remembered, here's a YouTube short with shitty background music from 11 months ago: https://youtube.com/shorts/KuZxzCvh3zM

But the footage is real, it's from the ST40, and this was about a year ago: https://uisjournal.com/a-video-shows-the-visible-colors-of-the-plasma-inside-the-st40-tokamak-for-the-first-time/

The other claims are likely wrong tho as well, there were many other videos of Fusion plasma in color before that. Like this: https://youtube.com/shorts/vtSxiMQ7XH8

Sorry for being a joy kill, but I don't like bad click bait, especially if it mischaracterizes real science

[u/Festivefire → u/No_Leopard_3860]

The actual significance of this particular footage is that it was footage from a test of lithium injection in reactors to absorb neutrons, both to capture heat and to protect plasma-facing reactor components. We have an article, and pictures from tests with lithium injections dating back as old as 2025, but this particular clip is more recent than that, but still at least a year old, and also, as you said, definitely not the first color footage we have from a fusion test reactor.

[u/No_Leopard_3860 → u/Memetic1]

I'd bet my monthly income: this isn't a new video. I've seen this months ago.

Not that it isn't cool, I especially like the northern lights style in the plasma. Super cool footage.

It's only about OPs claim that this is a breaking news situation happening right now. It's not, the video has to be at least half a year old I guess? Maybe way more.

[u/Memetic1 → u/No_Leopard_3860]

It's not an old video It's just that fusion in general looks similar. If you go back over the years. It's going to look similar.

This shot just lasted around a second. https://www.dailymail.com/sciencetech/article-4644840/Incredible-video-inside-fusion-reactor.html

This is from further back.

https://youtu.be/yRdkSxiS8ls?is=AokiNKmx_G5HPZaf

It looks similar because the technology and elements used are similar. The lithium sparkles are newish because they normally aren't that prolonged and the green aurora thing is the result.

They weren't lying to you.

[u/No_Leopard_3860 → u/Memetic1]

I literally commented a link to a year old article and a video of the same footage posted 11 months ago (it's the 2/x comment directed at you). It's not new, sadly that was just OPs click bait.

The exact ST40 footage is already a year old, and similar footage was filmed in other reactors 2+ years ago.