This material could heat a room for decades #science #physics

Added: 2026-05-16

[00:00:00]This tiny piece of material could heat a small room for decades. No batteries, no charging, just heat constantly.

[00:00:09]This is plutonium 238, a radioactive material whose atoms are constantly decaying >> [music] >> and releasing energy that can't be turned off.

[00:00:19]1 kg generates around 500 watts of heat, about as much as a small electric heater.

[00:00:26]But without proper shielding, contact with a material like this would be extremely dangerous.

[00:00:32]>> [music] >> And that's exactly why NASA uses it to power spacecraft traveling where sunlight can no longer reach.