Can someone in the fewest SIMPLE words possible, compare nuclear fusion and fission in terms of what happens in the reactions, the types of atoms involved, the safety concerns associated with each, and the conditions necessary to start the reactions?

Question

unklerhaukus · Answer

Fusion                          Fission
      merging                      splitting
    small atoms                 large  atoms
      high energy                radioactive isotopes 
laser focus intensity             critical mass