A massive nuclear fusion experiment just hit a major milestone, potentially putting us a little closer to a future of limitless clean energy.
If we could harness the heat from nuclear fusion here on Earth, we could use it to generate electricity on-demand without worrying about carbon emissions, nuclear waste, or running out of fuel
I don’t want to detract from this exciting milestone. Fusion is an absolute requirement for the complete end of our reliance on fossil fuels and there are no problems significant enough to warrant the end to fusion experiments. However, this statement is definitely not true with tokamak reactors. They typically use deuterium and tritium for fuel, which are limited resources. Fusion reactions are far more difficult with other light elemental isotopes. These reactors also use beryllium as shielding, which is a carcinogen. When the shielding needs to be replaced, it actually is radioactive.
Those are entirely accurate facts, but those downsides are absolutely dwarfed by the upsides to the technology’s potential. It’s like getting your own spaceship, then pointing out that it lacks cup holders.
I agree, fusion reactors will absolutely revolutionize everything, and even if we can’t do better than tokamak reactors, these problems are still pretty mild. I just expect more from scientific journalism
Fusion is a very long term goal and I’m sure they are careful to not tarnish its image. But yes sadly the first commercial fusion reactors probably won’t be sustainable but once they are a reality investment into the technology will be much greater and hopefully cleaner fuels will become a reality.
it may be that the author knew that if that was included their work would be used by your ben shapiro types to proclaim that fusion reactors create substances that are both carcinogenic AND radioactive!!! and can site their article. not saying thats the case, but I could understand such reasoning
I really appreciate this. It’s important to be aware of all the facts
Also, can they be built without fossil fuels ?
Possibly. Industrial processes are very energy intense.
For example, melting steel takes a certain amount of energy per mass to liquify, and since you’re trying to liquify it, you need that energy quickly, otherwise it’ll just get warm but stay solid. Nuclear could do it, maybe even wind if all other energy sinks (e.g. houses, apartments, etc) aren’t using too much of that renewable energy when the melt is occurring.
We do our best, but once the process starts, it must be completed no matter where the energy is coming from, otherwise it was just a waste of time and money.
weaning off fossil fuels completely is going to be a long complicated process. for now we will need to use fossil fuels to build greener infrastructure.
What’s new ? this :
Stepping stone: At 52 feet tall, the JT-60SA is now the biggest tokamak to reach first plasma anywhere in the world — but it likely won’t be for long.
I’d be surprised if they don’t start setting performance records soon. First plasma was a few weeks ago.
Tony Stark was able to build this in a cave!
Well I’m sorry. I’m not Tonny Stark
I’ve read the article and I’m still not clear what the breakthrough is.
It’s not limitless clean energy. It’s awesome, but technically it still uses water and turbines to turn the heat to electricity. In a world with vastly more electric demand this will eventually lead to global warming as well, because a lot of the heat is released into the environment.
That’s on a totally different scale though ;)
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Do you have a source on the claim that nuclear fusion will lead to global warming? I did a very cursory search and I’ve found articles that talk about how the technology is being exaggerated but all the ones I’ve seen said that it does not contribute to global warming.
Sabine Hossenfedler did a video on the topic: https://youtu.be/9vRtA7STvH4?si=y4_KuLbd1DzKmIX8 Basically, it is an issue humanity will likely have to solve eventually, but nowhere near as pressing as our current problems.
If waste heat becomes a problem then we have been wildly successful beyond our most optimistic hopes. Signs point to that future being an utter fantasy. It’s squarely in the “good problems” category. I wish we could just choose between another order of magnitude increase in industrial output and increasing the temperature of the planet by a few degrees
I’ve seen her videos before and they’re fantastic. I hadn’t seen this one yet obviously. What I took away from this is for right now CO2 is the immediate threat but waste heat will be a problem at some point. If a doctor had a patient with cancer and a bullet wound. He or she will treat the bullet wound before ordering a round of chemo. If I can get all star treky, it sounds like some kind of perfect Maxwell’s demon might be the holy Grail in converting waste heat into free energy. Regardless though the immediate concern should be reducing CO2.
Just be careful. She’s known as a bit of a crank. Physics is happy to accept curmudgeons, but remember that there are more professional, experienced opinions than her’s alone.
For ex, you’ll see she has a video on trans people with some… specious conclusions.
He’s assuming that making energy cheap and abundant will drive up demand as we find other uses
In a world with vastly more electric demand
Historically this has been true but I’m not convinced. We’ve definitely entered an era where efficiency and low energy are important, and I think that trend will continue
More people will need AC, but AC is becoming much more efficient. The entire fossil fuel supply will be transitioned to electrical …… damn, maybe he’s right. I started thinking in terms of how I used electricity, as an American, and I believe it’s generally plateaued, but consider the vast majority of the globe does not yet live like an American and may want to ….
Yeah at the scale of a Type I civilization probably one that is close to Type II. No reason to worry about it now. And even so we already have tech that can radiate heat into space without it heating the surrounding air.
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