What's Being Called A Breakthrough in Fusion

[Minimalist]

I don't expect to be alive to see it but maybe you younger guys will benefit.

http://news.yahoo.com/u-scientists-achie...31640.html

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. scientists announced on Wednesday an important milestone in the costly, decades-old quest to develop fusion energy, which, if harnessed successfully, promises a nearly inexhaustible energy source for future generations.

For the first time, experiments have produced more energy from fusion reactions than the amount of energy put into the fusion fuel, scientists at the federally funded Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California said.

[LastPoet]

You know Min, the invisible hand of the market™ will get a hold of that soon enough. Never underestimate the power of human greed.

[Tonus]

If that greed drives the development of efficient fusion, we might just benefit in the long run.

[Minimalist]

No. Never. It isn't the non-existent "invisible hand" that worries me. It's the actual hand of corporate crooks grabbing me by the balls that concerns me.

[pocaracas]

Like I said on FB...
Congratz NIF!
Now do it at 10 per second (that's their estimate to have a "continuous" power station)

[Jackalope]

Considering that I can recall hearing about the promise of fusion power when I was a child in the 1970s I remain skeptical that this will come to fruition any time soon.

That's not to say that it isn't worth pursuing - it's absolutely necessary that we do so.

[pocaracas]

Considering that I can recall hearing about the promise of fusion power when I was a child in the 1970s I remain skeptical that this will come to fruition any time soon.

That's not to say that it isn't worth pursuing - it's absolutely necessary that we do so.

What you heard in the 70's was the fruit of the 70's oil price boom.
Then oil price went down and all was silent for a while...
Now... well.... history repeats itself, but fusion science and technology has advanced something in the meantime... so it's closer...

[eyemixer]

Now if we can eliminate the inefficiency in delivery that is plaguing them, good times. They did not mention it in this article, but if I recall correctly (dicey in this case) there is at least an order of magnitude to work on?

Anyway, I don't have much of a problem with them having the time to work on containment before they can make a mini sun

[Ryantology]

Considering that I can recall hearing about the promise of fusion power when I was a child in the 1970s I remain skeptical that this will come to fruition any time soon.

That's not to say that it isn't worth pursuing - it's absolutely necessary that we do so.

I think it goes something like, we're always only 20 years away from fusion power.

Let's not forget that we have a giant nuclear fireball that delivers 10,000 times the amount of energy we need, every single day, to most of the world, absolutely free.

[Assimilate]

Considering that I can recall hearing about the promise of fusion power when I was a child in the 1970s I remain skeptical that this will come to fruition any time soon.

That's not to say that it isn't worth pursuing - it's absolutely necessary that we do so.

I think it goes something like, we're always only 20 years away from fusion power.

Let's not forget that we have a giant nuclear fireball that delivers 10,000 times the amount of energy we need, every single day, to most of the world, absolutely free.

there lies the problem.