The Environment

BigRedBuster said:
Here's the announcement.
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This is a major achievement for physics, but people need to realize that it's unlikely that the NIF method can be modified to produce sustained reactions and therefore energy. Somebody might figure it out, but we're still probably decades away from having fusion power from this breakthrough.

 
RedDenver said:
This is a major achievement for physics, but people need to realize that it's unlikely that the NIF method can be modified to produce sustained reactions and therefore energy. Somebody might figure it out, but we're still probably decades away from having fusion power from this breakthrough.
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That's why most of us have said it probably won't be in our lifetimes.  But, I actually never thought they would get to this point even.

 
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RedDenver said:
This is a major achievement for physics, but people need to realize that it's unlikely that the NIF method can be modified to produce sustained reactions and therefore energy. Somebody might figure it out, but we're still probably decades away from having fusion power from this breakthrough.
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Never happen, ExxonMobile, BP, and Chevron probably already bought out the patent, burned the recipe and unalived all involved. This will go down in history with all the announcements that a new engine was developed to replace the internal combustion engine. 

 
BigRedBuster said:
I will never have to worry about how to afford all my depends.
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I hear you.  The older I get the faster I have to get to the bathroom but slower I am in getting there !!

kevin-the.gif


 
BigRedBuster said:
That's why most of us have said it probably won't be in our lifetimes.  But, I actually never thought they would get to this point even.
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Game changer when it happens, though. Environmentally clean, cheap and abundant. This is where we should invest the research money versus other alternatives that all have drawbacks. 

 
nic said:
Game changer when it happens, though. Environmentally clean, cheap and abundant. This is where we should invest the research money versus other alternatives that all have drawbacks. 
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Somewhat disagree.

They have said this technology is still a number of decades away.  We need alternatives till that happens.....if it ever happens.  

I'm a firm believer that we need to keep developing many different forms of power.  Yes, all the other forms have their drawbacks. But, they all have their positives too.  Use all of them when appropriate.  For instance, I dream of a day when my house is solar and the technology has advanced even farther to make it even more efficient.  Then, have an electric car to where I'm not paying for power for my car when charged at home.

Then, maybe 50 years from now, when this fusion technology has advanced enough, it can take over for the public power supplies around the world.

 
nic said:
Game changer when it happens, though. Environmentally clean, cheap and abundant. This is where we should invest the research money versus other alternatives that all have drawbacks. 
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Even fusion is not without drawbacks as there are different types of fusion reactions and source materials that have different levels of radioactivity and toxicity.

I'm in favor of a reaction known as p-B (proton - boron fusion) as it's aneutronic and  has shorter radioactive decay times on the order of hours for the reaction products. It has higher energy requirements to initiate fusion though as compared to deuterium-tritium fusion. Here's an article summarizing p-B and the main difficulties: https://fusionandthings.eu/2019/06/05/new-calculations-show-proton-boron-fusion-is-still-difficult/

And a small company I've been following for a long time that's pursuing this approach: https://www.lppfusion.com/

 
BigRedBuster said:
Somewhat disagree.

They have said this technology is still a number of decades away.  We need alternatives till that happens.....if it ever happens.  

I'm a firm believer that we need to keep developing many different forms of power.  Yes, all the other forms have their drawbacks. But, they all have their positives too.  Use all of them when appropriate.  For instance, I dream of a day when my house is solar and the technology has advanced even farther to make it even more efficient.  Then, have an electric car to where I'm not paying for power for my car when charged at home.

Then, maybe 50 years from now, when this fusion technology has advanced enough, it can take over for the public power supplies around the world.
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I didn’t mean to imply we abandoned everything else immediately, but if this looks viable fire the money canon and soon. I am sure there is a lot of fat to free  up in gov spending. 

 
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