Recovery.Gov Project Tracker

[ltgbrown]

I really don't know how things will turn out regarding funding. However it turns out, I suspect navy money is a low likelihood.
It truly is sad to think that such a promising effort is not at the forefront of resourcing.
We spend so much money on stupid shit, waste, and just plain uninformed decisions it is just downright criminal.

And that is why I am not as hopeful as before.

[ladajo]

Have faith in Jaeyoung, he will find a way to move forward.

[Skipjack]

Have faith in Jaeyoung, he will find a way to move forward.

Well so far at least, things have not worked out that well.

[ladajo]

How so? The confirmation of wiffleball is a seriously significant advancement in plasma physics in a long time. There are also other lessons from the work that have also paved the road ahead for this approach.
Navy funding is a political animal. Its presence or absence reflects nothing on the actual work accomplished.
In fact, in my opinion, for a long shot project, they have narrowed the odds to be in the same order of magnitude for final success.
That is significant, no matter how you measure.
When compared to other efforts, the list of knowns verses unknowns presents significant favor to the polywell approach.
And that is what science is about; eliminating the unknowns.
The main limitation for any approach is plasma stability. This is where polywell is very much ahead, and proven so.
So again, I ask, "How so?"

[Skipjack]

How so? The confirmation of wiffleball is a seriously significant advancement in plasma physics in a long time. There are also other lessons from the work that have also paved the road ahead for this approach.
Navy funding is a political animal. Its presence or absence reflects nothing on the actual work accomplished.
In fact, in my opinion, for a long shot project, they have narrowed the odds to be in the same order of magnitude for final success.
That is significant, no matter how you measure.
When compared to other efforts, the list of knowns verses unknowns presents significant favor to the polywell approach.
And that is what science is about; eliminating the unknowns.
The main limitation for any approach is plasma stability. This is where polywell is very much ahead, and proven so.
So again, I ask, "How so?"

I meant in terms of acquisition of funding, not acquisition of knowledge. Unfortunately in this day and age, funding and knowledge can often be very, very far apart.

[crowberry]

I posted this quote by Michel Laberge a while ago in the General Fusion in the news thread, but I think is good so I will repeat it here as well:

Laberge offers both a complaint, and a solution: “It’s as hard to find the money as it is to find the fusion. I walked a lot to find the money. So, I’d say, you need a good idea and long legs.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/rob-magazine/vancouvers-high-tech-makeover/article23614007

As long as EMC2 keeps getting Navy funding they can continue to try to get bigger funds. As in fusion otherwise also this needs a lot of patience. On the other hand the fusion race is really on now so too much time lost acquiring funding is bad of course.

[crowberry]

There is a new update P00028 with $0 dated September 10, 2015 with the reason "Other Administrative Action". The dates are:
Award Type: Definitive Contract
Award Status: Final
Date Signed (mm/dd/yyyy) : 09/10/2015
Effective Date (mm/dd/yyyy) : 09/10/2015
Completion Date (mm/dd/yyyy) : 09/30/2015
Est. Ultimate Completion Date (mm/dd/yyyy) : 09/30/2015

[ladajo]

It appears that EMC2 and the navy are done, for now.
This is both a good thing and a bad thing. However, that said, there are some administrative details still being worked out that may take a little time.
I think in the aggregate, EMC2 is in a better position.
Sorry, can't say anything more than that until some things are worked out.