While it would certainly be welcome to get our electricity from something more modern than steam engines, it is also important to note that fundamental material

While it would certainly be welcome to get our electricity from something more modern than steam engines, it is also important to note that fundamental material science breakthroughs are required to actually build these things. Molten salt reactors are interesting but more in the context of funding research than how we should put together the energy mix of a country. Especially considering how much funding fusion power have gotten, which is still in the basic physics stage and things like materials breakdown and heat transport is largely not even a known problem yet.