Nuclear transmutation is the conversion of one chemical element or isotope into another. In other words, atoms of one element can be changed into atoms of another element by a process which occurs either through nuclear reactions (in which an outside particle reacts with a nucleus), or through radioactive decay (where no outside particle is needed). Transmutation technology has the potential to greatly reduce the long-term negative effects of radioactive wastes on human populations by reducing its radioactive half-life.