Talk-Polywell.org

10 years ago fusion was 20 years away. We seem to be getting closer with the recent surge in small innovative concepts. We are so now 19 years away... But seriously, it has always been premature to talk with sensationalism about saving the world with fusion...the sober reality is that fusion is at ...

Skipjack wrote:Also want to point out that subsequent projects to NERVA demonstrated much higher T/W than 1, high enough to SSTO.

Wasn't this contingent on ISPs of 1600 or more?

I agree with MSimon- in engineering in particular there is no direct correlation between credentials and ability. Naturally those who've spent lots of time and money in schools will tend to be credentialist.

I meant in strictly economic terms. Even if it turns out a success, it will take 20 years to integrate the polywell into the grid and see a significant return. Besides, I'm not sure energy efficiency is even a profitable solution, despite the benefits to civilization and the environment (if that wer...

I wish it were otherwise, but an NBA team is a better investment than Polywell fusion.

For $435? Is that even possible?

Am I right in assuming that any non-nuclear feuls can be ruled out for true SSTO (Mach 27?)

Net energy! A new era has dawned! Suddenly the sky goes dark with vultures...

Couldn't they use chemical rockets to get to a safe distance before firing the nukes?

Just throw half the budget at the NSF and keep the grants coming and everything will more or less work out for the better, an excess of scientists is better for a society than an excess of bankers and investors. Agreed. Bankers and investors historically leech more of society and civilization than ...

Someone please correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that it will take between $100 million and $200 million to build a reactor that will determine whether Polywell will yield net energy. If you ask the more knowledgeable folk here 'Will it?', their answer would be 'Um...well...' and then...

You're missing his point. It's not about buying a new Mercedes. Money is one of the few commonly accepted ways to measure proficiency (like it or not). Without the money factor it's much more difficult to assess competency. It is also necessary in matters of complex engineering in that it allows for...

Interest is growing. It's still hard to say whether this is going to end somewhere commercially useful (and propenents should be careful about their claims), but Rick has apparently found some very promising confinement data and the research is increasingly visible. People- potential investors- who...

computer programing is closely related to complex physics and engineering.

All three of those disciplines are related to the arts, believe it or not. Sci-Fi- the stuff that is worth reading/ watching is interdependent on modern science and engineering. Indeed- it was never otherwise...

Thanks IntLibber and Msimon for the input.

Cape Breton remains a mighty fine spaceport.,