Reply To: turn heat into electricity

[Rezwan]

I Sent the following to Oprah show via online form – and I’m sure it will fall on deaf ears (how irrelevant) – but with persistence, we may get through. Persistence, and perhaps some visuals – those posters mentioned in other posts. And perhaps I need to reframe this email and send it again. Suggestions?

And finally, if you know anyone connected with the show, that’s a better way of getting in. I’m sure millions of people use that online form. A personal connection is worth much more. Here’s my first pitch to Oprah:

Dear Oprah,

Would you like to be a force for the advancement of fusion energy? Fusion faces huge technical barriers. More importantly, it faces social and psychological barriers.

A frank national conversation hosted by you would go a long way toward shedding light on these barriers, and lead to a more constructive, creative, collaborative climate for fusion exploration.

Of all the energy sources in the world, nuclear fusion holds the greatest long term promise. Solving fusion would put an end to energy and environmental problems. It is also an awesome technological filter. Figuring out fusion will make us truly cosmic – bringing the stars down to earth.

The promise is great, but fusion is difficult. Decades passed, expectations were frustrated, fraudulent debacles occurred. Fusion is seen as “oversold,” a joke (always 20 years away). The fusion community is humbled. Most funding goes to a few conservatively selected approaches while many diverse, potentially faster routes to fusion are not adequately explored.

Some psychological issues are: expectation management, delayed gratification, and for the scientists, social validation. N. Taleb says of scientists:

“They need a capacity for continuously adjourned gratification to survive a steady diet of peer cruelty without becoming demoralized….Believe me, it is tough to deal with the social consequences of the appearance of continuous failure. We are social animals; hell is other people. – http://tinyurl.com/299jvww”

I’m the director of the Focus Fusion Society. We want to see people get involved in unlocking the secrets of fusion and supporting scientists in the trenches. We want to foster a pro-fusion culture.

Fusion needs your help to reframe the quest, to celebrate the journey, to make fusion energy happen. Fusion is a big problem, and you have a key role to play in bringing us closer to the solution.

I hope you consider this topic. Thank you!