Yay! Limitless fusion energy is here... or is it?

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Breakthrough in nuclear fusion energy announced

As ever with BBC News no journalists were harmed in the production of this article They mention "hydrogen" throughout but the reaction diagram explicitly shows Deuterium + Tritium fusing to form Helium 4 + free neutron. "But! But! The public are too stoopid to understand the concept of isotopes!" get bent.

The isotopes are the central problem with nuclear fusion. Protium (normal Hydrogen) and Deuterium are both stable and we have via the oceans an indefinite supply of both. Tritium on the other hand has a half life of ~12 years so it doesn't turn up naturally. Ironically a good source would be from something like a water-cooled nuclear fission reactor, you know, the sort we're doing away with because renewables are so fantastic

"Infinite Energy!" would therefore require Deuterium + Deuterium fusion making either Tritium or the unstable Helium 3 and then a follow on Deuterium + Tritium or Deuterium + H3 reaction to be viable and I would guess that's at least a magnitude of difficulty beyond that trumpeted in the news article.
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[Polarbear]

Yes, I saw that but to be fair the only thing they are trumpeting is that they actually got out more power than they put in.

Maybe it is a tipping point but it is way beyond my physics level so I am not holding my breath. Most of these scientific 'breakthroughs' take decades to become mainstream .

I very much doubt I'll see a working reactor in my lifetime or that it will come before climate catastrophy.
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[Pete.]

[chickenstrip]

[Polarbear]

[Nobby the Bastard]

[Easy-X]

[Nobby the Bastard]

[Ribenapigeon]

Yay! Limitless fusion energy is here ... or is it?.

No it isn't, limitless media idiocy is, so go back to bed.

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