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https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-28/china-thorium-molten-salt-nuclear-reactor-energy/100351932
Scientists in China are about to turn on for the first time an experimental reactor that's believed by some to be the Holy Grail of nuclear energy — safer, cheaper and with less potential for weaponisation.
Construction on the thorium-based molten salt reactor was expected to be finished this month with the first tests to begin as early as September, according to a statement from the Gansu provincial government.
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China Set to Begin First Trials of Thorium Molten Salt Nuclear Reactor
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(Score: 3, Interesting) by PinkyGigglebrain on Sunday August 29 2021, @07:02PM (1 child)
A valid point, and I will fully concede that MSR/Thorium fuel still has some technical, social, and political hurdles to clear.
Everything in life is based on "theoretical projections", even the belief that the sun will rise tomorrow morning. We assert it as fact because we believe it to be true based on experience and the evidence we have on hand, but it is not 100% certain that it is true so its nothing more than a projection. Just one with a VERY high probability of being right.
In the case of MSRs and Thorium fuel I've read the articles, watched the videos on both sides of the subject, since only a fool ignores the potential dangers of a technology while embracing it. and come to the personal conclusion that MSR/Thorium is a path that is worth advocating and following. The technology is not perfect, it still has it's long term issues like every other energy source Humanity is currently using, and there are still some things that need to be perfected but it is better than the majority of energy technologies we currently use in terms of safety, reliability, scalability, low environmental impact and long term viability. Even solar and wind have some negative environmental impacts that have been mostly ignored until recently.
Its not "certainty", its faith. Faith that something is true based on the evidence available.
Look at some of the things we are certain of; Hawking radiation, proton decay, fusion as a viable commercial power source, renewables that can meet Humanities rapidly growing energy needs indefinitely, etc..
Some of those are based on hard math, others on little more than wishful thinking. All of them have no confirmed observational proof to back them up and yet people still accepts them and believes them to be 100% true.
It all comes down to how much faith you have in the theoretical projections and validity of the facts those projections are based on.
"Beware those who would deny you Knowledge, For in their hearts they dream themselves your Master."
(Score: 3, Interesting) by krishnoid on Sunday August 29 2021, @11:08PM
I recently found myself in an argument when I said that something was an "interesting theory"; the person thought I meant "idea" or "perception" when I meant "scientifically verifiable theory", and had to requalify it a few times as "scientific theory".
Hence, I propose "scientific faith". The math is there, the science is there, the independently observable evidence (modulo the, uh, big interstellar telescope illuminati cartel) is there that the up-to-date theory matches the to-date observations, which is different than the vernacular "faith" [dumbingofage.com].
Example: "Crisis of scientific faith": we propose an update to the model, publish, and move on. You know, like we have every time it happened in scientific history.