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posted by takyon on Monday April 13 2015, @07:00AM   Printer-friendly
from the Big-Magnet dept.

A local affiliate of CBS reports:

General Atomics is scheduled on Friday to unveil a 1,000-ton superconducting electromagnet to be used in a 35-nation fusion energy study. According to General Atomics, the Poway-built device that's powerful enough to lift an aircraft carrier out of the water will be showcased at a news conference in Poway.

The electromagnet will be used in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor experiments in France, in which scientists will try to create a burning plasma that demonstrates the feasibility of fusion energy. Clean fusion energy has been a holy grail for researchers looking for alternatives to standard nuclear energy and carbon-based fuels. Scientists say fusion energy does not create long-term waste products or meltdown risks.

General Atomics is more well-known for their Predator and Reaper military drones. As much negativity is swirling around these parts about the military industrial complex, there could be much potential benefit from the technological progress General Atomics and others are making. What do you all think?

 
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  • (Score: 2) by wantkitteh on Monday April 13 2015, @09:19AM

    by wantkitteh (3362) on Monday April 13 2015, @09:19AM (#169606) Homepage Journal

    I think I know how they'll weaponise this - they'll pack the whole thing into a drone, fly it over some terr'ists and turn it on. The drone will collapse into a singularity - boom, no bad guys, no evidenc*ahem*drone.

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  • (Score: 3, Funny) by fritsd on Monday April 13 2015, @09:55PM

    by fritsd (4586) on Monday April 13 2015, @09:55PM (#170024) Journal

    You're overthinking it!!

    I think I know how they'll weaponise this - they'll pack the whole thing into a drone, fly it over some terr'ists and drop it on

    (example: 16 ton weight [tvtropes.org])

    FTFY. Also, Mother of All Extension Cables.