In Japan the bright lights never stop burning, the nation has an insatiable for energy but with virtually no natural resources to generate it. In order to meet demand for their electrical needs here they bet big on nuclear power having figured it was a low risk means to produce the energy they required.

However the meltdown witnessed at Fukushima back in March 2011 changed everything. To avoid another event like this politicians are now thinking about closing the remaining nuclear plants in Japan. Like the rest of the world, Japan is at a crossroads as scientists wonder how to power the planet without destroying the climate.

This NOVA special investigates how the realities of climate change, the inherent limitations of renewable energy sources, and the optimism and enthusiasm of a new generation of nuclear engineers is looking for ways to reinvent nuclear technology, all while the most recent disaster is still being managed.