Reply #48: Why should I weep when I read this?

[caseymoz]

Now, I would follow your link, but it requires me to pay. Sorry.

Why did you give that quote? It doesn't say anywhere, anywhere, that they've had a success. It does say, in the second sentence, that they have trying this approach since 1960! In no place in this passage including in the sentence you've inexplicably highlighted does it say, that they've done this particular experiment yet and had a success. All they are saying throughout is: "wow, we have big bad, totally awesome lasers here." Which is exactly what I said they've been thinking. Read it, where do they talk about the experiment they've done? Where do talk about the yield they've produced?

They accomplished ignition a long, long time ago. That isn't the problem. Plasma leakage, which vastly reduces yield, has been the problem. That's caused by turbulence, and for decades, they tried to make the "magnetic bottle" work. It leaked. Now, there are signs that they might have solved the turbulent problem, or at leased reduced it, here, here and most hopefully, here, but if this was the barrier, couldn't they have done this using smaller, less expensive lasers? I will add, though, that if they're this close to starting, they should go through the experiments.

Now, this has just been making the reaction work. They haven't started with the problem of how to harness the energy. With all those nifty lasers in there, where are they going to fit to fit the motor? Are they planning to boil water with it? I realize we're talking one step at a time, but the first step has taken fifty years with this approach.

They have made a huge number of discoveries trying to solve this problem, though. So the theoretical and engineering yield can't be denied. However, there are opportunity costs. We could probably make many discoveries with a different approach, and put the rest of the money into a huge collider, which, in fact, we've been beaten to by the Europeans while we mine for laser-fusion.

I don't think you read even the heading of my post. Do know what "I think" or "I just think" means? I'm not a closet Republican, a scientist, nor a genius. It's an opinion, and it's the best opinion on this subject that I have. Take the argument or leave it.

Oh, that link, about Cold Fusion? Here it is: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090323110450.htm