In a year that has brought us a pandemic, a steep economic recession, and widespread urban rioting, there hasn’t been much to celebrate. But little noticed in the maelstrom of news events has been a technological development that could render the debate over global warming moot once and for all.

Scientists have long sought a way to replicate the energy production process of the sun to generate power. The goal has remained elusive and was widely thought to be decades away. But scientists have published several research papers indicating that the creation of a functioning nuclear fusion reactor might just be feasible with current technology.