http://news.slashdot.org/story/22/12/13/1719245/scientists-achieve-nuclear-fusion-breakthrough-with-blast-of-192-lasers
"Scientists for decades have said that fusion, the nuclear reaction that makes stars shine, could provide a future source of bountiful energy. The result announced on Tuesday is the first fusion reaction in a laboratory setting that actually produced more energy than it took to start the reaction.
"This is such a wonderful example of a possibility realized, a scientific milestone achieved, and a road ahead to the possibilities for clean energy,"
---
Well, if we call a bomb a laboratory, this was actually done seven decades ago.
The problem remains WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY *NO* MEANS TO HARNESS THIS AND TURN IT INTO USEFUL ELECTRICITY. *NONE*. And none realistically on the horizon, either.
And that is before we get into other major questions: How do we sustain this reaction, for more than a small fraction of a second? How do we contain it, when we know that NO material can stand this sort of temperature? How much does it will it cost to build proper containment, and - more fundamentally - the means to transform the energy released into an ongoing source of electricity.
Keep your fingers crossed. Just don't hold your breath - nor invest in this tech.
| 