The world is slowly running out of fossil fuels, and the transition to cleaner natural energy sources is at the forefront of everyone's minds. Over the last twenty years the price of oil has almost quadrupled and reserves are disappearing as quickly as they can be produced. Additionally, natural gas has become increasingly expensive to produce and produce. On the other hand, wind and solar energy can produce enough energy but the infrastructure cannot support this type of energy conversion. However, the answer to this predictable energy crisis may be thorium. In fact, some scientists believe that thorium could be the abundant energy solution the world has been looking for, and quite possibly provide the entire world with enough energy for an indefinite time. History of Thorium“Thorium was discovered in 1828 by a Norwegian mineralogist named Morten Thrane Esmarkon on the island Lovoya in Norway and identified by chemist Jons Jakob Beezeliison. (Wikipedia, Par. 2, 2014) It was only seventy years later, in 1898, that thorium was discovered to have radioactive properties. Up to that point in history thorium was commonly used as a bonding material for TIG welding of steel and iron. Since that discovery in the late 19th century, thorium has undergone an extensive phase of transition and development leading to the possible answer to the next generation nuclear fuel source. It was during this phase of development that thorium became radioactive when a neutron passed through its molecular structure. When this happens, the “Thorium captures the neutron and undergoes a series of nuclear reactions until it finally emerges as Thorium-233, a fissile nuclide that will split easily and… middle of paper… what is thorium like nuclear fuel, what is nuclear thorium, what is thorium as a nuclear fuel? Copyright 2013 Retrieved from http://www.whatisnuclear.com/articles/thorium.html Forbes, Energy, Is Thorium the Biggest Energy Breakthrough Since Fire? Perhaps, William Pentland, September 11, 2011. Retrieved from http://www.forbes.com/sites/williampentland/2011/09/11/is-thorium-the-biggest-energy-breakthrough-since-fire-possibly/ Gizmag , Science, Thorium, a Safer Alternative for Nuclear Power Generation, Frank Leonard, May 26, 2011 Retrieved from http://www.gizmag.com/thorium-nuclear-power/18204/Advantage Environment, Thorium is a cleaner and more safer and a cheaper alternative to uranium? The Advantages of Thorium, Confederation of Swedish Business, Copyright 2012 Retrieved from http://advantage-environment.com/framtid/is-thorium-a-cleaner-safer-and-cheaper-alternative-to-uranium/