Time Magazine Fusion Cover Story (PDF)

Reflections on fusion history, current events, and predictions for the 'fusion powered future.
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Bob Reite
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Time Magazine Fusion Cover Story (PDF)

Post by Bob Reite »

The November 2, 2015 edition of TIme magazine has a story on fusion startup companies. The cover title is "Unlimited Energy. For Everyone. Forever FUSION It might actually work this time." Story itself is titled "A Star is Born" pages 30-39. Article contains photographs of the Tri Alpha Energy machine, with a block diagram, as well as photos of the General Fusion prototype. The article does mention various fusion fuels, although D-D is missing. proton-boron is discussed including the difficulty of running this reaction and the fact that it produces few neutrons, but they do not mention the main advantage in that electricity is generated directly. Other players mentioned were Helion Energy, Industrial Heat, Lawrenceville Plasma Physics and Lockheed Martin Skunkworks.

(Admin's note. A PDF of this cover story has been obtained. The link can be found a couple of replies below)
The more reactive the materials, the more spectacular the failures.
The testing isn't over until the prototype is destroyed.
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Paul_Schatzkin
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Re: Time Magazine Fusion Cover Story

Post by Paul_Schatzkin »

Somebody told me about this last night. I tried to read it on the web but it's behind a subscription paywall.

If anybody can get to it online, please print it in a PDF and send it to me. I'll post it and take the gaff for whatever copyright violations (they have to tell me to take it down before they can sue me).

What does it say about the Fusor/IEC? Nothing is my bet...

--PS
Paul Schatzkin, aka "The Perfesser" – Founder and Host of Fusor.net
Author of The Boy Who Invented Television: 2023 Edition – https://amz.run/6ag1
"Fusion is not 20 years in the future; it is 60 years in the past and we missed it."
Jim Stead
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Re: Time Magazine Fusion Cover Story

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Paul_Schatzkin
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Re: Time Magazine Fusion PDF is HERE

Post by Paul_Schatzkin »

That "open link" didn't work for me, it still wants me to subscribe before it'll let me read the article.

However, the cat is skinned. Somebody (who shall remain nameless) sent me a PDF, and I've uploaded that to my Dropbox account.

Try this link: https://www.dropbox.com/s/atme427rq9yii ... n.pdf?dl=0

It should open as a PDF. Let me know if you have any problems with it.
Paul Schatzkin, aka "The Perfesser" – Founder and Host of Fusor.net
Author of The Boy Who Invented Television: 2023 Edition – https://amz.run/6ag1
"Fusion is not 20 years in the future; it is 60 years in the past and we missed it."
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Bob Reite
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Re: Time Magazine Fusion Cover Story (PDF)

Post by Bob Reite »

As far as IEC is concerned there is a brief mention of the big Laser Ignition Facility, but nothing about the Fusor, nor the Polywell.
The more reactive the materials, the more spectacular the failures.
The testing isn't over until the prototype is destroyed.
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Paul_Schatzkin
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Re: Time Magazine Fusion Cover Story (PDF)

Post by Paul_Schatzkin »

NIF was mentioned as "inertial containment." The word "electrostatic" does not appear anywhere in the article.

I think NIF is a bigger joke than ITER (if that is actually possible).

But what do I know? I'm just a peasant in the street and all I see is naked emperors.

--PS
Paul Schatzkin, aka "The Perfesser" – Founder and Host of Fusor.net
Author of The Boy Who Invented Television: 2023 Edition – https://amz.run/6ag1
"Fusion is not 20 years in the future; it is 60 years in the past and we missed it."
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Re: Time Magazine Fusion Cover Story (PDF)

Post by Richard Hull »

As I have noted in this forum before, NIF is doing putt-putt boat fusion. Even if over unity, there is an issue with reclaiming the energy and having the reactor, itself, survive for 24-7-365 energy production.

Still, not one single over unity claimed device has lit a single 100 watt electrical light. Fission reactors were powering a submarine and a small town in the near megawatt class only 17 years after the discovery that fission even existed!!!

What is the difference here? Both fission and fusion are both forms of nuclear energy!!

Fission is like burning coal. We are pulling the trigger on an already loaded and cocked "free energy gun". Mine the coal... Mine the Uranium...Pull the trigger and there is energy. (coal - supply oxygen and light a match - gigawatts)....(Uranium - extract the U235 and supply a few neutrons and some graphite control rods - gigawatts)

There is not one single electron volt of trapped or readily available energy in any fusion fuel! Extract the deuterium from seawater....There is no trigger, no low energy match or low energy neutron source equivalent to start a ready-to-go fire....deuterium has no stored energy in the gas.

Again, I have stated this in many past posts in this and other forums here.
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
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