Reply To: Iconography

[amanasleep]

Yes, focus fusion must lobby organizations to recognize that it requires special consideration for funding because of it’s unique economic and ecumenical benefits. You may be correct that you fall outside of the normal purview for grants from humanitarian organizations, but at a certain point my feeling is that the intervention of a high-profile sponsor will be necessary to protect the fruits of successful research.

What happens if proof-of-concept is a smashing success? Only humanitarian organizations can provide the moral force to spearhead the introduction of this new energy source in precisely the areas where it can do the most good with the least institutional resistance: in third-world countries where there is a vacuum of reliable power generation.

This is a pie-in-the-sky formulation, of course, but my point is that it is important to capture the imaginations of those who want to change the world for the better, especially those with a few bucks. Soros is another example of the kind of investor you might consider. He is dedicated to humanitarianism, progressive social change, and forward-looking technology.

I agree with you that it is important not to go off without adequate preparation, and grant-seeking as everybody knows is 95% failure anyway.

I would not have a volunteer contact anybody unless they are 100% committed to your program and have a solid fundraising and/or scientific background. You should put your best foot forward always. That having been said, your existing body of theory and scientific research program should be sufficient if packaged properly and professionally presented both in written proposals and face-to-face presentations. If you do not have somebody in charge of such things I would make it a priority. While your grass-roots funding schemes are admirable I believe they will be insufficient in either the near or middle term while your cultural footprint is small. Later, if the intitutional support is secured from any sector, and assuming net energy production becomes a reality, individual contributions may become more important, but they are unlikely to provide significant income precisely when they are most needed.

The best solution is a non-corporate, non-governmental patron from outside the scientific establishment, whose aim is to support the project because of it’s possible impact on humanity, rather than possible economic exploitation or even the laudible goal of the advancement of pure science (as we have seen this is not always the only goal in the established science community).

The greatest asset of Focus Fusion is that it is not a crackpot idea and is supported by genuine scintific research. Therefore direct appeal to those with means is advisable, as even negative responses help to create awareness. A negative answer today could be a positive down the road, as any success in research will cause an instant re-evaluation of your efforts by those previously contacted.