3 ms·
> ITER is not a power station it is a research project. That it is not, and that there is no such thing yet, is itself testimony to the difficulties of fusion.
by mannykannot 9y ago
> ITER is not a power station it is a research project.
That it is not, and that there is no such thing yet, is itself testimony to the difficulties of fusion. I wish it were otherwise, but these are the facts.
On the other hand, the author is being misleading when he considers ITER as if it were a power plant, except where he can show that its problems are inescapable problems of any plausible fusion-power scheme.
If / when it becomes possible to build fusion power plants, these problems should be weighed against the alternatives, such as the undeniable (though often denied) problems of climate change.
I notice that the author became convinced of the futility of fusion research only after his income became in no way dependent on society's hopes and expectations for it.
- bonesss 9y ago> I notice that the author became convinced of the futility of fusion research only after his income became in no way dependent on society's hopes and expectations for it. I notice that lots of people can give highly detailed accountings of their ex-spouses failings as an individual post-divorce than they would have pre-divorce. Perhaps it's because their income is no longer dependant on their ex, or perhaps it's because they're no longer under the influence of infatuation... A stupendous amount of our energy "debate" is emotional and fantasy driven, not deeply related to pragmatic low carbon energy production at meaningful scales. I speculate this is related to messaging and disinformation campaigns from entrenched interests, but maybe youthful idealisation and generalized ignorance is a larger contributor...