Fossils vs Fusion

[JohnyBravo]

I just discovered a curious fact about cold fusion.

Scientists estimate that fussion technology is not only beneficial to environment but also cheaper, because the fuels for fusion, deuterium and lithium, have a widespread and abundant distribution and extraction costs are low. And also because the wastes from a fusion power plant would not require isolation from the environment for a prolonged timespan.

Which means that there are no additional recycling costs.

We can clearly see the advantages of this technology, now down to politics:

The Board accepted in broad terms the strategy of the programme and concluded that, on the basis of the progress achieved so far, the ultimate objective appears to be realistic, and that a prototype fusion power plant that can be considered the "first of a series", can be expected to operate around 2040. It must be emphasised, however, that the above timetable is not a necessary feature of the technologies. It could be accelerated somewhat if required.

So why is it that even though fussion is a much better and cheaper alternative to fossils, the government is not in a big hurry implementing it?
I'm thinking it could be either because oil giants want to squeeze the most out of their networks, or it could be because the US is afraid to loose its global political dominance with the coming of the new fussion era. US was milking Saudi Arabia for decades and was happy about it, and now add Iraq to the equation and you've got the supreme political dominance for the next 36 years. By the way, the oppression of Saudi Arabia is what turned muslims agains US.

Curiously enough, the date 2040 coincidents with the expiration of the oil resources capacity.

 

[JohnyBravo]

... or it could be because the US is afraid to loose its global political dominance with the coming of the new fussion era. US was milking Saudi Arabia for decades and was happy about it, and now add Iraq to the equation and you've got the supreme political dominance for the next 36 years.

This also explains why US so eagerly rushed into the war with Iraq, breaking international policies and even going in contradiction with it's own principles and believes.

Here in the US, you are considered innocent unless proven guilty. In the case of Iraq however, US didn't satisfy the request from UN to provide any significant evidence of WMD(Weapons of Mass Destruction).

Calling the Saddam an "evil dictator" and going into the war on that basis is not pollitically feasible. You can't invade the country unless there is an imminent threat. You have to have an absolutely urgent and compelling reason to go to war and US didn't have one.

Consider this, are you supposed to break into the house every time you hear a family fight and start calling them names and beating the living crap outta them? -No, that would be illegal. You can't interfere with the family business, and even the police cannot interfere unless things get really drastic and either of the spouses calls 911. Same rules apply on an international scale. So are the Iraqis wrong by calling US an occupants? Or do you think Americans are "liberators"? How would you feel is someone was invading your privacy?

 

[JohnyBravo]

So are the Iraqis wrong by calling US an occupants? Or do you think Americans are "liberators"?

I have discovered the fact that changes everything.

According to muslim professors, democracy and islam don't go together, they're just two totally incompatible things, so the whole "liberation" campaign was doomed from the start.

And besides, why would muslims want to trade their great culture and religion for something thats only 200 years old?

Muslims have a great culture with deep historical roots. It's the culture that gave birth to math, astronomy and many other sciences and philosophies, just for that they deserve some respect.

 

[JohnyBravo]

And here's a funny fact, instead of preventing the 3rd-world countries from getting WMD as it was intended, America gave the signal to those countries who dont yet have WMD to get them, and get them fast, while US deals with Iraq, or they will be next. So practically US encouraged everyone to arm to the teeth and do it as quick as possible. Can't you see the irony in that? LOL

And now the fruit starts to blossom. Alkaeda just recently obtained nuclear warheads from the black market. And of course everyone remembers the recent nuclear arsenal leakage from Pakistan to Iran IIRC.

 

[JohnyBravo]

And I wasn't talking about tokamaks or mirror machines or supergiant lasers or any of that crap, I was referring to the actual cold fusion that was developed by B. Stanley Pons and his one-time mentor Martin Fleischmann. The technology was archived back in '91 but it didn't receive a widespread recognition for stupid reasons such as it being physics defying and a low sucess rate of the replication experiments, so the government fundings were instantly cut off, even after McKubre reported that 11 of the previous 12 experiments at SRI International had produced excess heat.

And here comes the coverup:

The federal government's dismissal of cold fusion extended even to the US Patent Office. In early 1991, at least one researcher who applied for a patent on a variation of the Pons-Fleischmann experiment had it rejected on the grounds that cold fusion claims by the applicant or anyone else "are not reproducible or even obtainable." The evidence cited by the examiner consisted largely of articles appearing not in scientific journals but in the The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and Newsday, all of which quoted various physicists to the effect that experiments demonstrating cold fusion were mistakes.

 

[JohnyBravo]

I want to write about the real episode that happened in my life recently.
It all started when I went to the library to use the computer, since I'm in the process of relocating to another state and dont have access to the internet at this moment.
The library's policy limits the computer usage to 1 hour per person a day.
I was browsing through various articles and didn't notice the time pass by. Then the library assistant approached me and said that my session has expired. I looked around and noticed that there were four more computers that were vacant and available, so I asked her if she could extend my session. She called up the director who approached me and started slamming me with library's policies. I tried to explain to her that all I'm asking is to extend my stay until the next person comes in with the pass. I wasn't preventing anyone from using the computer and was ready to surrender it to the first person who comes in flashing the pass.
She once again threw policies in my face and said that if I won't leave immediately she will call the cops.
This is where my natural curiosity and ego kicked in so I decided to stay and watch the whole show to the end. I didn't doubt for a second that she has the guts to do it, I just wanted to see how deep the rabbit hole goes.
So I was sitting there, patiently awaiting the police to arrive, all the while replaying my dialogue with her in my head, and that's when she reminded me of that sub-greeter Steve* from Vault City and I broke a laugh, but my face quickly changed when cops appeared standing behind my back, all 5 of them! LOL
So I tried to look innocent and explained the situation to them and said that I wasn't preventing anyone from using the computer, but I tried to be brief and avoided any confrontations because I knew that their job was only to escort me outta there, anything I say they could perceive as a resistance to law enforcement.
So they did, but the story didn't end there. Next day I received the letter stating that my privileges to access the library were revoked. Permanently. That means I can never reapply for another membership card.
Pretty harsh punishment for an extra hour of internet usage if you ask me.

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The moral of this story?
Actions like these prevent from resources being used efficiently, which in turn can lead to a major catastrophe.

The nature survived and prospered for billions and billions of years only because it knows how to squeeze the most out of the limited amount of resources available, and recycle every single bit, especially when the timing is critical.

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*The name Steve is a reference to the character from the game Fallout, which is based in the post-apocalyptic settings. The game won RPG of the year award, but in my opinion it's the best damn CRPG of all time!

 

[JohnyBravo]

LOL, you won't believe what I just did. I've sent the copy of the above letter to every participant of that incident, including the police officers that responded to call and all the librarians, and guess what happens? Next minute I hear FBI knocking on my door LOL.

They interpreted my letter as a terrorist threats, especially the reference to post-apoc Fallout caught their attention LOL

I guess the fact that FBI had put me on their radar means that I'm on the right track to cracking this mistery LOL

 

[beer]

You having fun playing with yourself there?

 

[Mean MrMustard]

I thought this thread was about fusion?

 

[TheBDB]

Originally posted by: beer
You having fun playing with yourself there?

He even quoted himself multiple times.

 

[Ryan]

WTF?

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

It is at times like these I am glad I have formed the habit of reading the next few posts AFTER a lengthy post or series of posts first. I think I have found everything I need to know in those short replies.

 

[ReiAyanami]

Fusion is always 50 years away just like quantum computers and water powered cars. They might be possible, or they might not be possible, we should find out as soon as possible...

or risk ending up like Mars...

 

[zephyrprime]

I don't really trust anyone's proclamations about fusion being available at precisely 20XX but on the other hand, the government does have a screwed up approach to energy research. (gasifying coal will never be worthwhile.)

 

[beer]

I really don't think fusion is going to be usable within a century. I think there are too many inherent difficulties in trying to recreate conditions on the interior of a star - we are just not that advanced.

I think that most of our power will end up being solar-collected. There have been fantastic gains in solar cell efficiency and cost in just the past three years, and next to no advances in fusion.

 

[Vadatajs]

Last I heard Fusion still costs more energy to start than it creates. I haven't yet heard of any self-sustaining fusion reaction at all, let alone one that would actually generate a surplus of energy.

As for a cheap alternative to fossil fuels: wind.

 

[ElFenix]

 

[K1052]

I would not say that it is just a political issue. Controlled fusion has proved very hard to master with our current technology. The main problems are ignition and containment of the plasma, both of which currently require large amounts of power to even attempt.

I do think that additional resources should be put into the effort. The future benefits could be monetarily incredible and essential considering the power consumption of the U.S.

 

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: Vadatajs
Last I heard Fusion still costs more energy to start than it creates. I haven't yet heard of any self-sustaining fusion reaction at all, let alone one that would actually generate a surplus of energy.

As for a cheap alternative to fossil fuels: wind.

I think wind is a good one. Despite the high electricity costs in Vermont, many people here object to wind turbines being in place...they say they are 'eye sores'. These are probably the same people who complain about pollution from standard power plants. How are we suppose to get power then? Wind has at *worst* a negliable effect on the envirnoment and once the turbines are in place its essentially free.

But I guess they'd rather burn a hole in the ozone than see a turbine on a mountain 20 miles away.