MIT Working On Fusion Energy Generation

[wacojoe]

MIT scientist & engineers have announced they are working with a private company on a very promising new route to producing viable fusion energy production. The key to their approach centers around newly developed super-conducting material which theoretically allows them to create a force field with magnets strong enough to contain the ultra-energetic and high temperature reaction of gas plasma needed to produce the heat and thus energy of more than what was put in the process. They forecast their process could be commercially ready in 15 years.

Yeah, I know we have heard that before, but it is better than most predictions of 30 years for other processes.

https://www.theguardian.com/environm...mit-scientists

[Dave Grubb]

I hope I see it--but progress has been at best extremely slow.

If you want to have an exciting afternoon with your mind---begin to imagine all the things that would change as a result of the commercial success of fusion.

[wacojoe]

Workers in the present energy industry might not agree that the changes would be all good, but it would be revolutionary.

[Dave Grubb]

With any game changer there are winners and losers. The losers need to figure out their own game changer.

[wacojoe]

Reliable and abundant energy with no appreciable fuel cost and then batteries worthy of the name and the world would be vastly different. I think of what the poor in the world could do with unlimited power to desalinate their water sources...just for starters. Baja California would be a garden for instance. Maybe I’ll live to see some of it.

[Dave Grubb]

The lack of abundant and economical electric power is likely the largest single impediment to a viable economy.

[Fulltimer]

I am still imagining the advances we could achieve with clean sources of energy.

I was around when nuclear was the "energy source of the future".

Fusion should take away the problem of what to do with all that nuclear waste, taking care of two problems with one solution.

Nikola Tesla envisioned energy being transmitted worldwide with anyone with a receiver being able to utilize free energy.

Back a few years ago the free sources of information instantly available to anyone were considered a pipedream. Look at us today.

[wacojoe]

It will be about 10 minutes after viable fusion energy generation is made available before the ecochondriacs start their scare tactics about all the new terrible heat energy such sources would introduce. In fact they already have —

• “Complex technology of any sort is an assault on human dignity. It would be little short of disastrous for us to discover a source of clean, cheap, abundant energy, because of what we might do with it.”- Amory Lovins, Rocky Mountain Institute

• “The prospect of cheap fusion energy is the worst thing that could happen to the planet.”- Jeremy Rifkin, Greenhouse Crisis Foundation

• “Giving society cheap, abundant energy would be the equivalent of giving an idiot child a machine gun.”- Prof Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University

• “We have been so drunk with this desire to produce and consume more and more whatever the cost to the environment that we're on a totally unsustainable path. I am not going to rest easy until I have articulated in every possible forum the need to bring about major structural changes in economic growth and development.” Rajendra Pachauri, Head of IPCC

[Fulltimer]

It will be about 10 minutes after viable fusion energy generation is made available before the ecochondriacs start their scare tactics about all the new terrible heat energy such sources would introduce. In fact they already have —

• “Complex technology of any sort is an assault on human dignity. It would be little short of disastrous for us to discover a source of clean, cheap, abundant energy, because of what we might do with it.”- Amory Lovins, Rocky Mountain Institute

• “The prospect of cheap fusion energy is the worst thing that could happen to the planet.”- Jeremy Rifkin, Greenhouse Crisis Foundation

• “Giving society cheap, abundant energy would be the equivalent of giving an idiot child a machine gun.”- Prof Paul Ehrlich, Stanford University

• “We have been so drunk with this desire to produce and consume more and more whatever the cost to the environment that we're on a totally unsustainable path. I am not going to rest easy until I have articulated in every possible forum the need to bring about major structural changes in economic growth and development.” Rajendra Pachauri, Head of IPCC

I think it is healthy for everyone to express their opinions on any new energy producing technology. That is the way we explore the pros and cons of implementing any changes in technology.

There may be problems such as has been demonstrated with nuclear, the most severe is what to do with the waste products. The same with coal. Improvements in scrubbing techniques reduce the exhaust emissions but the problem of disposal of wastes and by-products is still a large problem.

Unlimited free energy will have consequences for both our economy and our environment. While I think the effects will raise up many parts of the world we should also consider all other aspects free energy will cause.

[Kevin]

There already is a pretty good fusion reactor available to us.

[Dave Grubb]

Yes, but it turns off at night.

[mgrist]

There already is a pretty good fusion reactor available to us.

Who's keeping it under wraps?

[Kevin]

Nobody. I was making a joke - it is the sun.