Poll: Will fusion save us?

[Muse]

There's a lot going on and it's largely driven by the imperative... i.e. we need an alternative to fossil fuels. This is pretty good:

 

[Captante]

Humans still being "human" I think it will take a lot more than "fusion power" to save us.... what we really need to overcome is greed and how likely does that sound?

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

If we survived long enough, maybe. Fusion power, if it even does work, won't be ubiquitous for ~50 years or so, at which point it probably won't matter anymore.

We spent too much time suckling the fossil fuel teat.

 

[PowerEngineer]

Proponents promise that fusion will be a practical source of energy in twenty years. They have been making that same promise for sixty years running. I will believe it when I see it.

 

[sandorski]

The Children of Atom find this thought to be Heresy.

 

[Red Squirrel]

I voted maybe, but I don't think it will, at least not in the foreseeable future. Right now it takes more energy input than what it outputs, so it is not very useful. If they can somehow get it to output more than what goes in then that's the golden ticket.

What we really need though is a form of large scale energy storage. We already have plenty of ways to generate power such as solar and wind, the problem is those are not consistent, so large scale storage would fix that problem.

 

[mxnerd]

You missed one poll option : It might happen, but only god knows how long it will take.

I was hopeful in the past. But just read the following article a few weeks ago.

OUT OF GAS A shortage of tritium fuel may leave fusion energy with an empty tank

Tritium costs $30,000 per gram and the world’s only commercial sources are the 19 Canada Deuterium Uranium (CANDU) nuclear reactors, which each produce about 0.5 kilograms a year .

Science | AAAS

www.science.org

 

[Muse]

You missed one poll option : It might happen, but only god knows how long it will take.

A minute or two after adding the poll I thought to myself I missed an item, pondered it a few seconds and decided to let it ride. Can I add one now?

 

[DAPUNISHER]

The Children of Atom find this thought to be Heresy.

I was irradicating all life in the glowing sea last night.

If they can make it work as envisioned and use it to power massive Atmosphere scrubbers, that would at least help with correcting this shitshow we have created.

 

[Captante]

A minute or two after adding the poll I thought to myself I missed an item, pondered it a few seconds and decided to let it ride. Can I add one now?

You've also neglected to include the obligatory "raging moron" option!

 

[KMFJD]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1602002974871785472

interesting update, still long way to go but it's significant if repeatable

 

[gorobei]

fusion is trending pretty hard.

a few years ago I saw an video where a cynical physicist went over the 'scam': finance guys form a company by finding scientists to develop a test run and then have pr team hype the gross energy result numbers but not the net gain numbers(more energy put in than out). they pump and dump the stock and let the company collapse.

there are genuine efforts, but they usually get stuck at the figuring out the theoretical process stage. that some of these companies are getting to the figuring out how to build a production stage is encouraging.

real engineering just did a breakdown of the history of fusion efforts and the science/math with the tokamaks. the lithium jacket/berylium substitution/tritium sarcity/radioactive-waste issues are covered. he will have a follow up video on Helion's radically different approach on dec19.

 

[NutBucket]

Not until we can achieve this:

 

[Muse]

Yeah, saw the story on CBS network evening news tonight, California's Lawrence Livermore Laboratory [ LLNL ] reports net energy gain in their fusion power system.

What are the odds that fusion will be a significant energy source?

What are the odds that fusion will be the dominant energy source within 50-100 years?

The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California achieved the milestone in the last two weeks, according to 3 people familiar with the preliminary results The DOE says Energy Sec Jennifer Granholm will announce “a major scientific breakthrough” at the LLNL on Tuesday

 

[Shmee]

Eventually these reactors will power our starships, so yes.

 

[Muse]

Eventually these reactors will power our starships, so yes.

You're envisioning fusion reactors on vehicles in space? What comic books do you read?

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

All you need is a shed in your yard.

This 17 Y.O. Boy Scout Built A Nuclear Reactor In His Mom’s Backyard 20 Years Ago That Made The Neighborhood Radioactive

The story of David Charles Hahn (1976-2016) is not an ordinary one. The boy, since his early years, was always fascinated with chemistry and science and conducted numerous chemical experiments just for fun. However, no one really expected that one day he would actually build a fully functioning...

www.boredpanda.com

How a Teenager Built a Nuclear Reactor in His Mom’s Backyard

The story of David Hahn, the Radioactive Boy Scout.

medium.com

How to Build a Nuclear Reactor in Your Backyard

And the tragic story of one American boy

ella-alderson.medium.com

 

[Red Squirrel]

Radio Active Boy scout is a good lesson on why control rods are important if you're going to build a home made nuclear reactor.

 

[sdifox]

All you need is a shed in your yard.

This 17 Y.O. Boy Scout Built A Nuclear Reactor In His Mom’s Backyard 20 Years Ago That Made The Neighborhood Radioactive

The story of David Charles Hahn (1976-2016) is not an ordinary one. The boy, since his early years, was always fascinated with chemistry and science and conducted numerous chemical experiments just for fun. However, no one really expected that one day he would actually build a fully functioning...

www.boredpanda.com

How a Teenager Built a Nuclear Reactor in His Mom’s Backyard

The story of David Hahn, the Radioactive Boy Scout.

medium.com

How to Build a Nuclear Reactor in Your Backyard

And the tragic story of one American boy

ella-alderson.medium.com

notice how young he died /tinfoilhat

 

[NutBucket]

You're envisioning fusion reactors on vehicles in space? What comic books do you read?

The good ones!

 

[TXHokie]

Not until we can achieve this:
View attachment 72736

1.21 Jiggawatts!!!

 

[IronWing]

Imagine all our power coming from fusion! We would all be talking like Minnie Mouse within a generation.

 

[sdifox]

Imagine all our power coming from fusion! We would all be talking like Minnie Mouse within a generation.

I don't get it. Why would I talk like Minnie Mouse?

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

All you need is a shed in your yard.

This 17 Y.O. Boy Scout Built A Nuclear Reactor In His Mom’s Backyard 20 Years Ago That Made The Neighborhood Radioactive

The story of David Charles Hahn (1976-2016) is not an ordinary one. The boy, since his early years, was always fascinated with chemistry and science and conducted numerous chemical experiments just for fun. However, no one really expected that one day he would actually build a fully functioning...

www.boredpanda.com

How a Teenager Built a Nuclear Reactor in His Mom’s Backyard

The story of David Hahn, the Radioactive Boy Scout.

medium.com

How to Build a Nuclear Reactor in Your Backyard

And the tragic story of one American boy

ella-alderson.medium.com

Fusors are easy, relatively speaking. They just don't generate energy.

Radio Active Boy scout is a good lesson on why control rods are important if you're going to build a home made nuclear reactor.

Fusion, not fission.

Also, still this.

If we survived long enough, maybe. Fusion power, if it even does work, won't be ubiquitous for ~50 years or so, at which point it probably won't matter anymore.

We spent too much time suckling the fossil fuel teat.

 

[IronWing]

I don't get it. Why would I talk like Minnie Mouse?