A major breakthrough has happened at the National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, where scientists have successfully produced a nuclear fusion reaction that resulted in a net energy gain, CNN reports. But what does that actually mean, and why is it so important? Well, not only is this the first ever net energy gain, instead of just breaking even, but it signals something much bigger: hope. These results come after decades of scientists' quest to create what would be an infinite source of clean energy that could completely remove our dependence on fossil fuels and finally make a significant positive impact on the climate change crisis. This is huge news for a planet that is increasingly plagued by the negative effects on the climate by fossil fuels, but it can be a bit intimidating to learn about. Click through to get a straightforward explanation of everything you need to know about this new form of nuclear energy that may be the world's biggest power source in the future.