NIF’s goal isn’t to produce fusion power for energy production. It’s to validate nuclear weapons. Nuclear fusion electricity is as far away as it has always been.
That’s not true. 20 years ago the consensus was that fusion was impossible to tame. Now the consensus is that we are possibly 30 years away from commercial use of nuclear fusion. We are in a position unthinkable a couple of decades ago
27 years ago I wrote a research paper about the promising, imminent future of fusion powered electricity generation. Wherever you got that 20 years from, you’re extremely wrong.
How could you have studied a field that you’re claiming essentially didn’t exist and nobody thought would exist? The first working Tokamak was build in 1958. There’s no way you studied this in any capacity and came away not knowing this.
Fusion is a boondoggle, and will never be used to generate electricity outside of using the effects of the sun.
I studied fusion as million of people around the world, as it is part of the standard curriculum of physics, theoretical chemistry, many branches of engineering. It is one of the most common topic in science. I did not specialized on nuclear fusion.
Exactly what I said. NIF isn’t testing fusion ignition for some benign or altruistic purpose. They are testing it so they can model and validate the behavior of nuclear weapons.
Thanks! I feel this really hit the point home for me - “NIF also helps address “life-extension” programs—regularly planned refurbishments of weapon systems to ensure long-term reliability.”
Yep, exactly. People that think this news is part of some energy production effort are sorely mistaken. It’s also not the first time an energy positive reaction has happened, since those started happening in the 1970s with tokamaks.
NIF’s goal isn’t to produce fusion power for energy production. It’s to validate nuclear weapons. Nuclear fusion electricity is as far away as it has always been.
That’s not true. 20 years ago the consensus was that fusion was impossible to tame. Now the consensus is that we are possibly 30 years away from commercial use of nuclear fusion. We are in a position unthinkable a couple of decades ago
27 years ago I wrote a research paper about the promising, imminent future of fusion powered electricity generation. Wherever you got that 20 years from, you’re extremely wrong.
Research paper as in published in a physics journal? Good for you. It means you were a visionary person.
What made you change your mind then?
~20 years ago is when I studied fusion at uni
How could you have studied a field that you’re claiming essentially didn’t exist and nobody thought would exist? The first working Tokamak was build in 1958. There’s no way you studied this in any capacity and came away not knowing this.
Fusion is a boondoggle, and will never be used to generate electricity outside of using the effects of the sun.
I studied fusion as million of people around the world, as it is part of the standard curriculum of physics, theoretical chemistry, many branches of engineering. It is one of the most common topic in science. I did not specialized on nuclear fusion.
Wtf do you mean validate nuclear weapons
Exactly what I said. NIF isn’t testing fusion ignition for some benign or altruistic purpose. They are testing it so they can model and validate the behavior of nuclear weapons.
But they have made thousands of nuclear weapons, and have the production know-how for more. So why bother model and validate and test?
You need to maintain them. You could go look at NIF’s own description. They aren’t secretive about the purpose of this work.
Thanks! I feel this really hit the point home for me - “NIF also helps address “life-extension” programs—regularly planned refurbishments of weapon systems to ensure long-term reliability.”
Yep, exactly. People that think this news is part of some energy production effort are sorely mistaken. It’s also not the first time an energy positive reaction has happened, since those started happening in the 1970s with tokamaks.