Reply To: Mind, Spirit, Science connection?

[Rezwan]

That is great news! Also, I’m going to move this post to contenders.

Yes, this is what Bill Gates was referring to in his TED talk.

Although in that talk, he put the development of this technology at 20 years, and commercialization at 40. NIF’s latest estimate is 10 years to prototype, 20 to commercialization.

It’s true that fusion has a difficult time growing in the shadow of Thorium or oil. If you talk to fusion scientists, quite a few put the development of fusion energy at 100 years and beyond – not because of the science, but because of the economic competition from first oil, then fission. Many of them figure fission will solve the immediate energy crisis problems, and then, in the usual trickling start/stop way it’s been going, fusion will eventually get developed without much fanfare.

This is too bad, because for me, it’s always been about a lot more than the energy problem. It’s the ego thing. The cosmic dimension of trying to understand and control plasma – reaching into the heart of a star. The mythic, primal, questing, epic thing.

I wonder how we can leverage this Thorium shadow to encourage fusion alternatives. As you point out, ITER is just too non-competitive. Fusion will need to present more appealing ideas. They have to play the “pleasant physics surprise” card. Start exploring those smaller, more nimble fusion ideas.