Everyone remembers cold fusion—the scientific hype train that crashed in the ‘80s. But what if that dream of limitless energy never really died?

In this episode of Arqiv, we dig into the bold claims of today’s most promising fusion startups: Helion, SPARC, and Commonwealth Fusion Systems. Are we finally seeing the first glimmers of real, net-positive energy? Or are we setting ourselves up for another letdown?

Along the way, we look back at the cold fusion saga, how it shaped public trust in energy science, and what’s different this time. From magnetic confinement to plasma ignition, we explain the real science driving this $6 billion race toward clean, unlimited power.