The article argues that modern conflicts are increasingly defined by attrition, driven by three strategic gaps: the difference between nominal military power and usable capacity; the difficulty of achieving breakthroughs in a technologically advanced battlefield; and the detachment of military means from clear political objectives. Evidence from Ukraine and the Middle East demonstrates that sustained logistics, rapid technological adaptation, and proxy networks are now more decisive than sheer military size. For policymakers, this implies a strategic shift away from seeking short, decisive victories toward preparing for prolonged, high-cost engagements, requiring a focus on sustainable supply chains and defining concrete, attainable political end-states.
Science Fair Series: Demystifying Nuclear Fusion
English Summary
The CFR’s Science Fair Series event, focusing on nuclear fusion, highlighted the process as harnessing the energy of the sun by fusing light elements like deuterium and tritium, releasing immense energy via Einstein’s E=mc² equation. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory’s advancements, particularly recent breakthroughs, represent a significant step towards achieving controlled fusion. While decades of research have laid the groundwork, the extreme conditions – density, temperature, and confinement – required remain a major technological hurdle. This research holds significant implications for future energy security and competitiveness, particularly as a cleaner and more abundant energy source.
中文摘要
美國戰略與國際研究中心（CFR）舉辦的科學博覽會系列活動，重點探討核融合，闡述了其原理：通過融合輕質元素（如氘和氚）來利用太陽能，並藉由愛因斯坦的E=mc²方程式釋放巨大的能量。勞倫斯利弗莫爾國家實驗室的進展，尤其是最近的突破，標誌著實現受控核融合的一個重要里程碑。儘管數十年研究奠定了基礎，但所要求的極端條件——密度、溫度和限制——仍然構成著主要的技術挑戰。這項研究對未來能源安全和競爭力具有重大影響，尤其是在作為一種更清潔、更豐富的能源來源的方面。
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