Current Affairs 18th February 2025
Current Affairs 18th February 2025 by Saurabh Pandey Sir
Parambikulam Tiger Reserve
🐅 Location: Parambikulam Tiger Reserve is in the Western Ghats, straddling the border between Kerala and Tamil Nadu in India.
🌳 Biodiversity: The reserve is known for its rich biodiversity, housing various species of flora and fauna, including tigers, elephants, and numerous bird species.
🏞 Area: It covers an area of approximately 643 square kilometers, making it one of the most significant protected areas in the region.
📅 Establishment: Parambikulam Tiger Reserve was established in 2010, although the area has been recognized for conservation since the 1970s. Summary: Parambikulam Tiger Reserve is a biodiverse protected area in the Western Ghats, known for its rich
China’s EAST Reactor: A Leap Towards Sustainable Nuclear Fusion
Introduction
On January 20, 2025, a remarkable milestone in nuclear fusion was achieved when Chinese scientists announced that their Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) successfully maintained a plasma at an astounding temperature of 100 million degrees Celsius for a staggering 1,066 seconds. This breakthrough not only marks a significant step in the quest for sustainable energy but also highlights the importance of nuclear fusion as a potential solution to the world’s energy crisis. 🌍✨
Historical Context of Nuclear Fusion Nuclear fusion, the process of combining two atomic nuclei to form a heavier nucleus, has long been considered the holy grail of energy production. While the principles of nuclear fission were discovered in 1938 by Otto Hahn and Fritz Strassmann, leading to the first sustainable fission reactors, the idea of harnessing fusion energy has been tantalizing scientists since the early 20th century. Unlike fission, which produces harmful radioactive waste, fusion promises to be a cleaner, safer, and virtually limitless source of energy. This transformation in energy discussions underscores the urgency and necessity for innovative solutions in an everchanging world. The Tritium Quandary Nuclear fusion’s complexity is often epitomized by the “tritium problem.” Tritium, an isotope of hydrogen, is crucial for fusion reactions but is scarce in nature. While deuterium can be easily extracted from seawater, generating tritium is a daunting challenge. Currently, most tritium is produced as a by-product in heavy-water fission reactors located in Canada, India, and South Korea. The quest for sustainable fusion energy hinges on overcoming these production hurdles while simultaneously ensuring that the reaction can be maintained efficiently. Deuterium vs. Tritium: Deuterium (one proton, one neutron) Tritium (one proton, two neutrons)
