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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?
(Score: 2) by Nobuddy on Monday April 13 2015, @08:00PM
The math says it is feasible. It seems a bit cantankerous old fart do want something to be abandoned and never worked on a gain just because you don't understand it.
(Score: 2) by Dunbal on Tuesday April 14 2015, @11:04AM
Math can be made to say anything we want - after all we invented it. The evidence after years of experimentation and billions and billions of dollars in funding though say it's NOT feasible. Of course if you insist on throwing money at any idiot who says "oh but what if we..." but that's not scientific research, that's snake oil salesmanship. Science is lead by observation and experimentation, not mathematical formulae. You're supposed to come up with the forumula to explain the observed phenomenon not try to manipulate reality to explain your formula.