Some good news, Controlled Nuclear Fusion with net energy gain breakthrough!

Jamdoc · Dec 12, 2022

Finally some green energy I could get behind .. though it's still decades away.

Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough news

But they've managed to create conditions for nuclear fusion that resulted in more energy released than energy put in, which normally they couldn't do, normally nuclear fusion takes a massive nuclear fission reaction (aka an atomic bomb) in order to trigger the temperatures necessary.
Nuclear fusion energy doesn't produce any carbon, or radioactive waste, so it's green and theoretically limitless.

Ana the Ist · Dec 12, 2022

Jamdoc said:
Finally some green energy I could get behind .. though it's still decades away.

Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough news

But they've managed to create conditions for nuclear fusion that resulted in more energy released than energy put in, which normally they couldn't do, normally nuclear fusion takes a massive nuclear fission reaction (aka an atomic bomb) in order to trigger the temperatures necessary.
Nuclear fusion energy doesn't produce any carbon, or radioactive waste, so it's green and theoretically limitless.

This seems to defy physical laws....but I'm obviously not a nuclear scientist.

That Guy 11200 · Dec 12, 2022

I don't imagine fusion power will be the wonder technology that people hope for. The current designs are incredibly expensive and difficult to build, so they'll likely cost at least as much as fission reactors and take just as long to build (decades).

They aren't clean either. Neutron bombardment on the reactor housing can make the material radioactive, so there's still waste to deal with. It also means the housing has to be replaced periodically, adding to the running costs.

Hans Blaster · Dec 12, 2022

This fusion technology isn't aimed at power generation. It is about testing the physics of nuclear weapons. This "net energy" experiment is interesting, but will never lead to an energy source. (There are two other kinds of fusion that are viable energy sources, just not this one.)

See the posts in this thread:

Fusion breakthrough?

Jamdoc · Dec 13, 2022

Hans Blaster said:
This fusion technology isn't aimed at power generation. It is about testing the physics of nuclear weapons. This "net energy" experiment is interesting, but will never lead to an energy source. (There are two other kinds of fusion that are viable energy sources, just not this one.)

See the posts in this thread:

Fusion breakthrough?

That's disappointing, articles treated this like this was geared towards generating energy and was the first time there was a net gain (outside of thermonuclear weapons)

and those 2 other kinds of fusion have not had net energy gains yet. it's taken more energy that released to get the fusion going

Tinker Grey · Dec 13, 2022

Hans Blaster said:
This fusion technology isn't aimed at power generation. It is about testing the physics of nuclear weapons. This "net energy" experiment is interesting, but will never lead to an energy source. (There are two other kinds of fusion that are viable energy sources, just not this one.)

See the posts in this thread:

Fusion breakthrough?

Yes, you were right. NPR's reporting certainly indicates that this is pretty close to a pointless announcement.

Fantine · Dec 13, 2022

The interview i heard this morning said there are many more challenges to overcome but that it would kill the fossil fuel industry for good.
No wonder why they will move heaven and earth to oppose it

Nithavela · Dec 13, 2022

I agree, this is good news. Hopefully the weapons created with this technology will kill many humans.

Whyayeman · Dec 13, 2022

Jamdoc said:
Finally some green energy I could get behind .. though it's still decades away.

We have had 'breakthrough' announcements before. The British Zeta programme has been limping along fort many years. The science is fine. The fusion of hydrogen ions does generate energy. The practical problems have not yet been insurmounted and the research is phenomenally expensive. These announcements always generate press interest; they are - perhaps - designed to generate more funds...

And yet! The prize of limitless energy is worth pursuing.

Hans Blaster · Dec 13, 2022

Nithavela said:
I agree, this is good news. Hopefully the weapons created with this technology will kill many humans.

The weapons already exist. This is basically a microscopic H-bomb. In both a strong radiation source compresses a bit of hydrogen and initiates fusion. In the H-bomb it is x-rays from a fission bomb reflecting on the inside of the case. In ICF it is a bunch of lasers.

Trogdor the Burninator · Dec 13, 2022

Fantine said:
The interview i heard this morning said there are many more challenges to overcome but that it would kill the fossil fuel industry for good.
No wonder why they will move heaven and earth to oppose it

The counterpoint is that unlike 50 years ago, we already have renewables which could achieve this (or very close to it) without the need for fusion.

Jamdoc · Dec 13, 2022

Trogdor the Burninator said:
The counterpoint is that unlike 50 years ago, we already have renewables which could achieve this (or very close to it) without the need for fusion.

Wind and Solar will never be capable of powering the planet reliably. So no.

Fantine · Dec 14, 2022

The second interview I heard said that by 2050 70% of our energy will be renewable--but half of that would be wind/solar and the other half would be fusion.

He also pointed out that fusion duplicates the energy activity of the sun so solar power is actually generated from fusion 93 million miles away.

Pommer · Dec 14, 2022

Jamdoc said:
Wind and Solar will never be capable of powering the planet reliably. So no.

Hint: Solar has been “powering” the planet since 4 billion years ago.

Jamdoc · Dec 14, 2022

Pommer said:
Hint: Solar has been “powering” the planet since 4 billion years ago.

not in the sense of being harnessed for electricity it hasn't.

Solar power doesn't work at night, for solar and wind you always need another system of producing energy that's actually reliable at times when the sun is down and the wind is weak.

and the batteries produce far more of a footprint on the earth pollution wise than fossil fuels, and are still not as efficient.

what you imagine: 100% renewable energy no carbon.
the reality: people burning woodfires and coal to keep from freezing to death in the winter at night when there's not enough energy in the grid to go around.

Some good news, Controlled Nuclear Fusion with net energy gain breakthrough!

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