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World's Most Powerful Electromagnet Unveiled

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

Ethanol-fueled writes:

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?

• Conflation != Vindication Conflation != Vindication (Score: 3, Insightful) by Geezer on Monday April 13 2015, @10:02AM

  by Geezer (511) on Monday April 13 2015, @10:02AM (#169621)

  From TFS: "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. "

  Just because this tentacle of the military-industrial octopus might be doing something worthwhile scientifically (for a handsome profit), it in no way reflects on General Atomics' other corporate behaviors. Corporate ethics is not a zero-sum game.

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• Re:Conflation != Vindication (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @11:18AM

  by Anonymous Coward on Monday April 13 2015, @11:18AM (#169643)

  (for a handsome profit)

  I would expect that it would be in line with standard contract rates. Typically profit margins are quite a bit lower on government contracts, but sometimes it is calculated differently which makes it more complicated to compare apples-to-apples. Those things are audited annually. Do you have any particular insight into the contract details for this that would suggest otherwise?

  Parent