It's one of the most inspiring bits of practical experimental science in our lifetimes I think, but I'm a big fan. That's not to say that it's putting us on the

It's one of the most inspiring bits of practical experimental science in our lifetimes I think, but I'm a big fan. That's not to say that it's putting us on the cusp of fusion reactors, but it's definitely going to help the understanding of how plasma at high temps and under strong magnetic fields acts. The best analogy I've heard is "Like trying to squeeze a balloon into a given shape with your bare hands." There is a strong tendency for constriction in one part of the plasma to cause it to flare in another region, which lowers the temperature of the plasma (bad) and can touch the reactor chamber (terrible!). The ideal would be a total understanding of just how and where to "squeeze" the plasma with magnetic fields, so that the least possible input of energy is required and the plasma would essentially stabilize itself. The problem is that the ability to model that on a computer is only just coming along, and the W7-X is a big step forward in uniting those new models with a practical experiment. Does it solve issues of breeding Tritium, diverting plasma, resisting atomic sputtering? No, but it does hopefully move forward the understanding of the underlying plasma physics.