The world gained a new international organisation last month. Iter – which stands for International Thermonuclear Energy Reactor and also means “the way” in Latin – was formally established on October 24, with a mission that could hardly be more long-range or more ambitious. Iter aims to demonstrate that nuclear fusion can be a clean and affordable energy source for the late 21st century.

Fusion research has always been a forward-thinking activity, and its practitioners have long had to face quips along the lines of “fusion is the power of the future – and always will be”.