[extropy-chat] Fusion Power: Linchpin Technology?

[Jay Dugger]

0855 Friday, 19 January 2007

On 1/19/07, Eugen Leitl <eugen at leitl.org> wrote:
> On Thu, Jan 18, 2007 at 09:19:28PM -0600, Jay Dugger wrote:
>
> > _If_ Bussard's Polywell turns out as everything it's cracked up to be,
> > we might have a good rocket engine.
>
> Don't know, the Tokamak has been vacuuming off enough funding
> and brain resources, but the timing of Bussard's alleged
> breakthrough has been awfully convenient.

I agree. Too convenient? I don't quite buy that--not that you argued
it. First, Dr. Bussard grows no younger. The publicity burst, such as
it was, might have no more motive than him wanting to make certain his
recent work has a good chance to continue after his retirement or
death. Second, necessity mothers invention. No one had any interest in
electric cars when gasoline cost pennies per gallon.

>
> If it's so easy and cheap we'll know soon enough.
>

Agreed. I'll fund it if I win a lottery jackpot. Realistically,
perhaps a fund drive to gather attention for the project? A la the
Methuselah Mouse Prize, or through Fundable.org?

> In general, the fusion problem has been solved gigayears
> ago. It's called a star. What is needed is designing an
> antenna cheap enough -- preferrably, one that's autoinstalling,
> like trees.
>

Trees have many advantages, but not power density. You can build
spaceships with trees, but only the paper kind.

-- 
Jay Dugger
http://jaydugger.suprglu.com
Sometimes the delete key serves best.