Comments
dontpet t1_iym6qh2 wrote
Smart people that have done the math claim we won't be able to create cost competitive power with fusion. it would still have been a win for humanity regardless if we achieve it.
cursedjayrock t1_iynmle0 wrote
I don’t think anything will be able to be as cost efficient as “Hey I found this liquid that burns real fast”, but it would be better for so many reasons. Having reliable energy created, not relying on shipments from other countries, less transport fees, environmental advantages, etc. Using nuclear fusion as a power source would be more beneficial than just the cost to produce.
I understand corporations not wanting to invest, but we should have more govt projects working on advancements, as this will reduce foreign reliance.
Zyx-Wvu t1_iymv9ct wrote
I hate HATE liberal ludites. You know who I'm talking about - The people protesting for Green Energy but think a Nuclear Reactor is one accident away from recreating Fukushima, or believe that radioactive wastes will outlive their pathetic lifespan.
DevAway22314 t1_iynutrp wrote
> or believe that radioactive wastes will outlive their pathetic lifespan.
Okay, but that one is definitely true, unless they live a very long time
Cold_Turkey_Cutlet t1_iynxc63 wrote
>he people protesting for Green Energy but think a Nuclear Reactor is one accident away from recreating Fukushima
It literally is. The pendulum is swinging too far in the opposite direction. Now people are acting like nuclear energy is completely safe. Or saying stupid shit like the only reason accidents happen is because of poor planning or cutting corners. No shit. Both those things are a universal constant in human behaviour, so they have to be considered! Not to mention that climate change/increased natural disasters is the actual number 1 threat to nuclear power plants because they have to be built on rivers to get water for cooling.
Nuclear energy is not a panacea and comes with a litany of drawbacks just like all other energy sources.
mikeymumbelz t1_iym3g5t wrote
I hear the promise of nuclear fusion almost as often as I hear Elon Musk promise 100% self-driving cars "next year."
jiggamain t1_iynje07 wrote
Lol. The self driving beta version is out in the wild as of a couple weeks ago, so…. There’s that.
mikeymumbelz t1_iyoft3g wrote
It has been in beta for years now. That's the point.
[deleted] t1_iynnqd3 wrote
One of these days… give or take a couple of hundred years. But still, one of these days, very soon.
kidnyou t1_iymqdj6 wrote
I worked (project analyst) at SAIC (govt contractor) on a project called ITER (International Thermonuclear Energy Research) which had multiple countries involved (US, Japan, and some EU members). Goal was a working fusion reactor within 5 years. This was in 1993.
Ronny_Jotten t1_iymdqle wrote
It's been 40 years away for the last 70 years.
Still waiting for my jet pack too, my vacation on the moon, and my two-way wrist TV. Ok, the last one I can check off. When Apple finally comes out with their car, it had better be a flying one...
igotbigballs t1_iymxbjr wrote
Jet packs exist now. They're just very expensive.
Ronny_Jotten t1_iymyxhf wrote
And they only run for a few minutes. Same could be said about fusion reactors, and probably android butlers too... That is not what I was promised!
s1ngular1ty2 t1_iyqmsu3 wrote
Fusion is still 50 years away and always will be...
Sorry_Decision_2459 t1_iym4vle wrote
Cool, too bad we’ll all be under a global dictatorship, and the scientists likely killed off by religious zealots before that happens
A40 t1_iym7t2r wrote
"When we said 'approaching' we meant 'Someday a few decades from now (at the bargain price of something like a trillion dollars) we hope we will produce a slightly less tiny surplus of unusable power for a few seconds and then have to tear the thing apart and start over because it was never meant to be a 'working' reactor.'"
hiraeth555 t1_iym7zmd wrote
I bet some part of DARPA already have it sorted but want to have every last penny extracted from oil before moving to fusion
SBBurzmali t1_iymf9u7 wrote
Ah Vice, bastion of accurate reporting. I expect the followup, "Fusion power to Fuel Revolution in Blunt Manufacturing" any day now.
rare-ocelot t1_iyndo26 wrote
"We interviewed 6 nuclear physicists on acid and discovered cold fusion, probably"
hexbatch t1_iyn2vyj wrote
If I had a nickel for every time I have seen this headline in the past 40 years…
Am I a bad person for smiling at the young folks, just knowing they will have the same experiences for decades to come?
Edit: the votes are in, young redditors hate this
wh4tth3huh t1_iym5z03 wrote
Investment. That's what's required. A unified will to stand against the fuel economies of the world. The reason we haven't made these leaps is because we don't invest squat in nuclear power research anymore.