A Step Closer To Cheap Nuclear Fusion 404
ewsnow writes "The Focus Fusion Society reports that the scientists and engineers at Lawrenceville Plasma Physics have finally built an operational Dense Plasma Focus device. While still at less than half power, they were able to achieve a pinch on their device. The small company that Eric Lerner started recently gathered enough funding to start a two-year study on the validity of his theory regarding fusion-inducing plasmoids. If the theory holds, the device will produce more electricity than it consumes. In contrast to the billions of dollars spent on Tokamak fusion (think ITER), LPP is conducting their research on a budget around a million dollars. Yet, if it works, it will provide nuclear fusion with much simpler equipment and much less cost. Eric Lerner and Focus Fusion have been discussed on Slashdot before."
Fusion!? (Score:5, Funny)
Isn't that what they use on the sun!? I don't want that sort of thing in my backyard! what if the reaction gets out of control and it annihilates the entire solar system!? What are we going to do with all of the nucular waste?
Folks, can we pretty please think of another name for this stuff? 50 years worth of misinformation is, I fear, holding us back. People here the word "nuclear" and immediately start shitting their pants with fear.
I vote we call it "Hydrogen Energy". After all, hydrogen is 2/3 of the ingredients in water!
Excellent! (Score:3, Funny)
Anonymous Coward (Score:5, Funny)
I hear Fusion has moved from "Always being 10 years away" to "Always being 5 years away." Great progress!
Re:Fusion!? (Score:5, Funny)
You mean dihydrogen monoxide [dhmo.org]--pretty dangerous stuff...
Step closer to nuclear fusion (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Fusion!? (Score:2, Funny)
The public needs to be shown that the word "nuclear" is not cause for panic.
I don't know, people seem to like the nuclear family, don't they? We should call it family energy.
Re:Fusion? (Score:1, Funny)
Your post is the fusion of moron.
get it?
Re:Fusion? (Score:5, Funny)
But wait, you're producing helium? Think about the environmental impact! Millions of adults walking around talking like chipmunks all the time! Won't someone think of the children!?!
:-D
NMR, No that's too dangerous (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Cheap energy is social justice (Score:2, Funny)
I'm concerned about the idea of 'endless growth in a finite world' that cheap food and energy seem to sustain. If the world population was the same now as it was before the green revolution (2 billion or so) everything would be rosy. That is is now 6.8 billion, set for 7 billion in 2012 and utterly dependent on fossil-fuel centered food production is a worry for me.
With cheap energy and cheap food we could hand the poor a bag lunch and then shoot them into space. I'm thinking massive rail gun.
Got any other little problems you want solved?
As my boss was fond of saying, before I strangled him, "Don't bring me a problem unless you're bringing a solution with it."
So, get to work on a solution! I'm thinking massive rail gun...
Re:It always looks good at first (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Fusion? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:complete strawman (Score:5, Funny)
"it leaks something radioactive so it must be very dangerous" - well, except it's not, as you will be irradiated more by decaying potassium-40 in the body of a girl you're sleeping with than by most tritium leaks
Those of us not sleeping with a girl take exception to that comparison.
Could you please put that in time of CRT exposure? Or some other more comprehensible metric?
Re:Fusion!? (Score:1, Funny)
That's nothing. There are several companies that have figured out how to weaponize Hydrogen Hydroxide using specialized guns. They sell them on the open market, totally unregulated, no oversight whatsoever.
There have been reports that they've also found ways to turn the ionic compound into a latex bound artillery ordinance. I'm scared to think what could happen if they find a way to marry the payload with a self-navigating guidance system of some sort.
fusion-inducing plasmoids? (Score:2, Funny)
Re:complete strawman (Score:5, Funny)
If a Ford is better car than a Chevvy, that doesnt make it a good car!
There ya go!
OK, so... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Anonymous Coward (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Fusion? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:This is aneutronic. No radiation (Score:3, Funny)