Researchers at Lehigh University are experimenting with mayonnaise to unlock the secrets of nuclear fusion, a potential source of limitless, clean energy.

This research builds on their previous work, published in 2019, which also utilized mayonnaise to understand the physics behind fusion.

“We use mayonnaise because it behaves like a solid, but when subjected to a pressure gradient, it starts to flow,” said Arindam Banerjee, the Paul B. Reinhold Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Mechanics at Lehigh University.

This characteristic of mayonnaise mimics the behavior of plasma under similar conditions.