[Vagtlaldo]

Giant lol smilie, basically

[fluoxet]

The guy seems very credible but his research is federally funded so of course he wants to increase the importance of the work at the National Ignition Facility by making fusion seem imminent. That's how he gets paid.

[rasiasertew]

if there was no WWII there would never have been regular nuclear power either... so for fusion I think we need WWIII

What makes you think nuclear power was contingent on WWII happening? Hell, if Germany didn't go all lebensraum, they might have developed nuclear power in the 1940's. The atom was split before WWII broke out.

[MgpojuWy]

Not enough economic incentive.

(note, I know nothing of the physics involved but the technology is only half the battle towards fussion power. I at least know that)

[8Zgkdeee]

exactly, there was a whole lot of focused effort during WWII for the bomb... if it never happened, it would not have been done so soon or on a similar scale, who would do it, private enerprise? The governments would be more interested in other activities, like building roads, power plants, drilling for oil than spending billions on some exotic tech which only green tree huggin psycho sci-fi lefties would be interested in...

Especially since you said power plants... Eisenhower's "Atoms for Peace" speech? The reason why it took until the 1950's for nuclear power plants to be operational was because only the government had access to the research until the 1950's. It was all classified. There was definitely a strong movement to use it for power which was curtailed because of the necessities of war and the more obvious and easier use of the technology for warfare. WW2 doesn't break out and who knows what could have happened? It might have been developed purely for power in a more peaceful setting (not to mention that the research and tech would likely not have been classified in a peaceful world)

[Investblogger]

Especially since you said power plants... Eisenhower's "Atoms for Peace" speech? The reason why it took until the 1950's for nuclear power plants to be operational was because only the government had access to the research until the 1950's. It was all classified. There was definitely a strong movement to use it for power which was curtailed because of the necessities of war and the more obvious and easier use of the technology for warfare.

yes, but the catalyst for all that was war... without it it would be all far and out of reach... decades away without proper spending which would have been directed elswhere in hypothetical peaceful 1940's

[Sotmoigma]

God already has. It's called the sun.

****, out-lawyered

[bingookenoo]

The first reactor was made in the US in 1942. True, the US was in the war at that point but the first strides were being made not in a bomb context.

anyhow... 5 year project, everyone fully focused due to the war, government invested 0.4% GDP peak per year into it... what would that be 50-60bn for a "peak" year of a 5 year project today, 130k people employed by state on potential vapourware... if a weapon meaning "life or death" was not behind it - not a chance. A decade later when they could explore the investement already made further, they moved into civil area... For fusion energy project/s there is nowhere near as much impetus today, nor in the forseeable future.

[Adollobdeb]

Ok... still... IMO - a great focused effort which was Manhattan project would not be happening... and Germans if they did not have Hitler would hardly be going for nuclear power as an energy source strongly either... it would all be a loooooooottttttt slower... who knows if it would be economically viable today, if there was no WWII... but hey just an opinon... and for sure even if we have WWIII (unless it is directly linked to energy needs, so in some warped way it causes a huge investement into cheap energy by powerful states such as USA, China or EU) such a single huge push towards Fusion power will not happen, as what happened inadvertently with regular nuclear at the time.

[realfan87]

****, out-lawyered

[Arexytece]

I read that the science was there but the engineering problem was too difficult.

Basically we can't built strong enough ****. At least, with respect to cold fusion. I don't know anything about it however.

[Gakeincidoniac]

I have no ****ing clue what you're on about

It's HC. You'd think a guy with a name in reference to the Hadron Collider would be a little bit more interested in physics, don't you think?

What I find sad is that he seems to look up to you, KH, for some bizarre reason and he'll probably get a little tingle of sadness when he sees your comment

But I still don't get the reference to Hauldren. Who or what is Hauldren?

[attlawqa]

It's utterly bizarre seeing AS try to talk down to anyone.

[capeAngedlelp]

Why would I take the GMAT? Particularly since I have exams to study for that will actually be both challenging and valuable?

[Lotyqnag]

It's utterly bizarre seeing AS try to talk down to anyone.

Quite

[arriftell]

God already has. It's called the sun.

Lies, the sun is nowt more than a burning ball of coal.

[mr.memo]

I have no ****ing clue what you're on about

Well, I mean, neither do I

[inhitoemits]

The gmat is a joke

So? Have him apply to B-school without taking the GMAT. good luck with that. I don't see what that has to do with my question.