My understanding is that the NIF was primarily to explore weapons research in the guise of fusion research.
We could use some nuclear miracles to help out with decarbonizing and it seems like we'd be better served investing in something that could possibly become viable (especially with the recent superconductor news).
Sure its primary purpose is to gather data on nuclear fusion to help ensure that the nuclear stockpile is reliable without having to test it, but it isn't like them probing the conditions and behaviors of fusion ignition isn't meaningful for fusion reactors as well.
What's the weapons angle for sustained fusion research? We've had the tech to reliably turn heavy water into 100 million casualties per warhead for >50 years.
It's purpose is physics research, which benefits both weapons and fusion for power production, and other fields besides. Being able to study a burning plasma in a lab environment, allowing us to validate our computer models, is valuable even the power reactors we build using those models wind up looking very different.
Totally, or something like infinite probability drive from Hitchhiker's that would just send our trash to random other universes and timelines.
Which makes me wonder, are other universes and timelines sending us stuff? Is that where platypus' come from?
P.S. I'm not trying to say platypus' are trash, just that the don't fit in with our indigenous fauna and maybe another timeline thought they were and sent them to us.
Smart people like that would do dumb things. Why not park the other end of the wormhole in the core of the sun for dumping trash. Test it first? Nah, surely this thing is one way of course.
I know the cognitive dissonance is a bit heavy for some people on this topic but we already have fusion. Safire plasma can run for days uninterrupted on less than 300 watts of continuous input.
[+] [-] ArtemZ|2 years ago|reply
[+] [-] pstuart|2 years ago|reply
We could use some nuclear miracles to help out with decarbonizing and it seems like we'd be better served investing in something that could possibly become viable (especially with the recent superconductor news).
[+] [-] dotnet00|2 years ago|reply
[+] [-] aradox66|2 years ago|reply
[+] [-] jjk166|2 years ago|reply
[+] [-] moomoo11|2 years ago|reply
[+] [-] iancmceachern|2 years ago|reply
Which makes me wonder, are other universes and timelines sending us stuff? Is that where platypus' come from?
P.S. I'm not trying to say platypus' are trash, just that the don't fit in with our indigenous fauna and maybe another timeline thought they were and sent them to us.
[+] [-] richard_rainbow|2 years ago|reply
[+] [-] user6723|2 years ago|reply
https://rumble.com/vbtfff-safire-project-update-2017-and-201...
[+] [-] function_seven|2 years ago|reply