There has been something of an amusing announcement from the Brandon mal-Administration. A notable scientific achievement has been reached! Yay, team!
I've checked out a few approaches to fusion, and one of these wasn't covered all that much. That's because I didn't think that it lent itself to commercial development. It so happens that this approach towards net energy from fusion was the National Ignition Facility in Collyfornia.
Although the Biden mal-Administration wants to hype this scientific achievement by claiming that fusion is now around the corner, it needs to be mentioned that nobody should get carried away by the hype. The achievement, if real, is notable. The first time that fusion has been produced while getting more energy out than they put in. Well bravo on that, but it isn't all that it is cracked up to be.
If they achieved ANEUTRONIC fusion, it might be said to be "clean energy". But if not, it will produce neutrons, which will impart some of that nasty radioactive stuff to the environment. Not likely to have reached nirvana just yet. Sorry to burst that little bubble. ( not really)
But the Biden mal-Administration would have everyone believe that they've conquered this clean energy hill with this announcement. That's where the hype is.
Beside the likelihood of it not being really "clean energy", the thing is monumentally impractical. The device is the size of a stadium, yet produces only enough net energy to make a cup of coffee, perhaps. Let's not get too excited. There is a LONG way to go to make a commercial device. That is, with this approach. My impression is that it isn't EVER going to produce a practical device because it needs to be much, much more compact.
There are better approaches than this, in other words. They got a scientific coup, but that is all.
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