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Multiple realities
(covers information from several alternate timelines)

Cold fusion is a nuclear fusion process that proceeds at room temperatures. By-products of a cold fusion reaction included heat, neutrons, and tritium. A cold fusion detonation could be configured to rapidly absorb heat. (Star Trek Into Darkness; SNW: "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow")

In the 21st century, the Noonien-Singh Institute for Cultural Advancement secretly operated an experimental cold fusion reactor in Toronto. In 2022, the reactor was targeted by Sera, a disguised Romulan sent from the future to impede Human progress. La'an Noonien-Singh and James T. Kirk, who had time traveled from two different versions of 2259, were able to locate the reactor and prevent Sera from reaching it, albeit at the cost of Kirk's life.

In Kirk's alternate timeline, Sera successfully destroyed the reactor and Toronto with it, triggering a war between Humans and Romulans that rendered Earth uninhabitable and prevented the formation of the United Federation of Planets. (SNW: "Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow")

In 2259 of the alternate reality, Commander Spock of the USS Enterprise used a cold fusion device to stop a volcanic eruption on the planet Nibiru that would have wiped out the native Nibirans. The cold fusion detonation rendered the volcano inert, causing the lava within to solidify into rock. (Star Trek Into Darkness)

In Star Trek Into Darkness, the illusion of rendering the volcano dormant was difficult to create. "The transition from lava to rock was the trickiest part," noted CG simulation supervisor Dan Pearson. (Cinefex, No. 134, p. 81) For more information, see Lava.

The Star Trek Encyclopedia, 4th ed., vol. 1, p. 152 defined "cold fusion" as the, "Nuclear process in which molecular kinetic activity is instantly reduced to near-zero." Further, in the notes to the entry, the authors wrote, "Not to be confused with the hypothetical technique of the same name for creating nuclear fusion energy at room temperature."

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