So, let's talk about nuclear power. There's a whole lot of risk (as recent events and/or the Godzilla franchise have shown), but the potential is pretty staggering. When you go fission, the energy you harness comes with some reel safety hazards and complications (think: Chernobyl). It's one hell of a nasty catch.
Because of that, many scientists have begun to shift their focus to nuclear fusion. In a nutshell, fusion plants would use already abundant sources of fuel, produce less waste, and not leak radiation above normal background levels. There's been one major problem so far... efficiency. The input is greater than the output, which pretty much defeats the whole purpose.
Well, until now anyway.
TG Daily (Extra information from HowStuffWorks. If you're interested in the subject, give it a read.)
According to their simulations, the energy released could be a thousand times greater than the energy put in. That's only hypothetically speaking, of course, and we're not even close to reaching that milestone. It's a tantalizing thought, though.
It's no secret that energy is a pretty big deal. The oil we're so dependent on won't last forever, and unless we can find some practical alternatives, we're going to be screwed. While nuclear fusion isn't necessarily the be-all, end-all solution to this problem, it could serve as a handy stepping stone. In fact, several nations (including the US, Japan, Russia, and others) have already proposed fusing their resources to create a joint plant in France.
A safer, cleaner, and more convenient nuclear power plant? The atoms may be split, but I'm sure the jury isn't.
And you know, it may just bring us one step closer to creating our own Liberty Prime. Now that's a worthy cause in my book.
Because of that, many scientists have begun to shift their focus to nuclear fusion. In a nutshell, fusion plants would use already abundant sources of fuel, produce less waste, and not leak radiation above normal background levels. There's been one major problem so far... efficiency. The input is greater than the output, which pretty much defeats the whole purpose.
Well, until now anyway.
Nuclear fusion is very close to the point where the amount of energy produced by the system equals or surpasses what's been put in.
Sandia scientists say that magnetically imploded tubes called liners, intended to help produce controlled nuclear fusion at scientific "breakeven energies or better, have functioned successfully in preliminary tests.
According to their simulations, the energy released could be a thousand times greater than the energy put in. That's only hypothetically speaking, of course, and we're not even close to reaching that milestone. It's a tantalizing thought, though.
It's no secret that energy is a pretty big deal. The oil we're so dependent on won't last forever, and unless we can find some practical alternatives, we're going to be screwed. While nuclear fusion isn't necessarily the be-all, end-all solution to this problem, it could serve as a handy stepping stone. In fact, several nations (including the US, Japan, Russia, and others) have already proposed fusing their resources to create a joint plant in France.
A safer, cleaner, and more convenient nuclear power plant? The atoms may be split, but I'm sure the jury isn't.
And you know, it may just bring us one step closer to creating our own Liberty Prime. Now that's a worthy cause in my book.