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> ITER will not capture the energy it produces as electricity, but—as first of all fusion experiments in history to produce net energy gain—it will prepare the
by jcoffland 9y ago
> ITER will not capture the energy it produces as electricity, but—as first of all fusion experiments in history to produce net energy gain—it will prepare the way for the machine that can.
So this is a very large and expensive project that will never produce any actual electricity. Seems at high risk for budget cuts. No one can predict the political environment over the next decade. If it's anything like the last ten, this project is at risk even of they can stay on schedule and within budget.
- losteric 9y agoOur irrational prioritization of public spending is seriously disheartening. On one hand we have ITER, an international ~$20B R&D investment that pays dividends even if it fails - and America's 10% commitment is rightly seen as politically uncertain. On the other hand, American's almost take for granted that we must spend $300B every year on war in the Middle East - for inarticulable and unquestionable reasons. Imagine where we would stand if we turned just 10% of that fraction of our total military budget towards advanced R&D... commercialized fusion would literally revolutionize the world, and the technology would be an irresistibly compelling diplomatic carrot (esp. in the Middle East, in the form of cheap desalination)
- 627467 9y agoAt the current state of world affairs I agree with your skepticism. But there have been similarly expensive multinational projects that have and continue to survive difficult world conflicts and tensions: ISS.