3 ms·
It's not mathematics and, unlike in the atomic era, they're not becoming useful.
by blfr 5y ago
It's not mathematics and, unlike in the atomic era, they're not becoming useful.
- nicoffeine 5y agoAre you seriously claiming that mathematics aren't being used to build fusion reactors and particle accelerators?
- nwah1 5y agoFusion research on one hand is much like a ceremonial money pit where we light a mountain of cash on fire every year. Fusion power itself will likely not have much practical application anytime soon, because other power sources will be far more economical. But if we consider fusion power to be a backdoor way to get funding to research superconductors, plasma physics, and so on, then there is something valuable in the manner of that von Neumann quote, even though their proximate goal is probably all but useless for now.