So "David Willetts, the UK's science minister" says anyway. BBC News - UK joins laser nuclear fusion project
The BBC should be congratulated, that's the first article on nuclear fusion I can remember that doesn't try to compare any of the research programs with the inside of the Sun. I quite like the way Wikipedia puts it:The power production by fusion in the core varies with distance from the solar center. At the center of the Sun, theoretical models estimate it to be approximately 276.5 watts/cu.m, a power production density that more nearly approximates reptile metabolism than a thermonuclear bomb. Peak power production in the Sun has been compared to the volumetric heats generated in an active compost heap. The tremendous power output of the Sun is not due to its high power per volume, but instead due to its large size.That's not what fusion reactors are trying to achieve. I don't think there's anywhere in the galaxy which does what The National Ignition Facility has done.
I do hope they get there. The other news item this morning about the parlous state of the US grid makes grim reading: A massive power outage has left more than two million people without electricity in the US states of California and Arizona, and in Mexico. It's what you get when a country skimps on infrastructure because it overspends on armaments. Third world make do and mend instead of intelligent design.
Nuclear fusion: Ignition within two years
Nuclear fusion: Ignition within two years
Nullius in verba ... ☎||||||||||| ... To Fate I sue, of other means bereft, the only refuge for the wretched left.
When flower power came along I stood for Human Rights, marched around for peace and freedom, had some nooky every night - we took it serious.
Who has a spare two minutes to play in this month's FG Trivia game! ... My other OS is Slackware.
When flower power came along I stood for Human Rights, marched around for peace and freedom, had some nooky every night - we took it serious.
Who has a spare two minutes to play in this month's FG Trivia game! ... My other OS is Slackware.
Nuclear fusion: Ignition within two years
And a sequel to two million people without electricity in the US:The outage was triggered after a piece of equipment was switched off at a substation in Arizona, officials said.
BBC News - Power partly restored to California, Arizona and Mexico
What sort of string-and-sticky-paper operation is the US power industry operating on the West Coast, for goodness sake. Have they no shame?Daniel Froetscher, a vice-president at APS, told the Associated Press news agency the malfunction at the substation was "not a deliberate act. The employee was just switching out a piece of equipment that was problematic".Astounding. And, if I may be pedantic, a deliberate act. Perhaps Mr Froetscher means it wasn't intended to trigger the consequent event.
BBC News - Power partly restored to California, Arizona and Mexico
What sort of string-and-sticky-paper operation is the US power industry operating on the West Coast, for goodness sake. Have they no shame?Daniel Froetscher, a vice-president at APS, told the Associated Press news agency the malfunction at the substation was "not a deliberate act. The employee was just switching out a piece of equipment that was problematic".Astounding. And, if I may be pedantic, a deliberate act. Perhaps Mr Froetscher means it wasn't intended to trigger the consequent event.
Nullius in verba ... ☎||||||||||| ... To Fate I sue, of other means bereft, the only refuge for the wretched left.
When flower power came along I stood for Human Rights, marched around for peace and freedom, had some nooky every night - we took it serious.
Who has a spare two minutes to play in this month's FG Trivia game! ... My other OS is Slackware.
When flower power came along I stood for Human Rights, marched around for peace and freedom, had some nooky every night - we took it serious.
Who has a spare two minutes to play in this month's FG Trivia game! ... My other OS is Slackware.