Search found 465 matches

by Helius
Tue Oct 07, 2008 4:59 pm
Forum: News
Topic: ITER vs the Stone Axe
Replies: 52
Views: 29769

It's a technicality, of course; all we really want is Q>>1. Being able to shut down the heating equipment after startup is mostly a tokamak thing... The concept has merit with the NIF (National Ignition Facility); Once Fusion starts, no further heating is required. All lasers can be `off'. Agreed, ...
by Helius
Sun Oct 05, 2008 7:01 pm
Forum: General
Topic: Nuclear Power plant applications.
Replies: 21
Views: 12983

I wonder about the concept of a "Nuclear *waste* repository, forever, in Yuck-a Mountain. Sheesh; No wonder there's opposition. What did they expect? They could have rethought the concept: How about a centralized "strategic restorage and reprocessing facility instead? Long term storage could be a pa...
by Helius
Tue Sep 30, 2008 4:30 pm
Forum: News
Topic: TELL ME NOOOW!
Replies: 30
Views: 23573

Sounds to me like this could be getting held as an "October Surprise" for election purposes. No better way to get global headline attention to the technology if it is. I doubt it and hope not. The result of such an "October Surprise" would be dynamic but unpredictable. Good projects need no enemies...
by Helius
Fri Sep 26, 2008 1:07 pm
Forum: General
Topic: Article: 60% of oil price is speculation
Replies: 150
Views: 85593

The Cornerstone of this crisis is the home mortgage interest deduction, a contrivance whereby the no principal repayment, infinite term, interest only loan makes sense. The longer the term, the greater the interest deduction. The interest only mortgage payment allows your whole mortgage payment to b...
by Helius
Mon Sep 22, 2008 4:46 am
Forum: General
Topic: Article: 60% of oil price is speculation
Replies: 150
Views: 85593

Comprehensive solutions.

I get a kick out of the perspective that oil drilling is somehow not disjoint with wind and solar. How again does Oil company drilling in Anwar and offshore impede solar and wind development? You ahem... "conservatives" would have a lot more credibility if you'd allow the leases for drilling, tar sa...
by Helius
Tue Sep 16, 2008 11:57 pm
Forum: General
Topic: McCcain on Energy
Replies: 14
Views: 12732

Scrupper didn't mention that Nuke power was heavily subsidized too; especially through the limits of liability through the Price Anderson act: http://www.eoearth.org/article/Price-Anderson_Act_of_1957,_United_States I also find it amusing that you simply assume gubberment would invest in Polywell. I...
by Helius
Mon Sep 15, 2008 4:23 pm
Forum: Administration
Topic: Too much politics?
Replies: 14
Views: 15907

Around election time it activates all the "change of alpha male" circuits in the monkeys. Ugly stuff that. How about no politics until 1 Dec. When things have cooled and we can help determine the course of the next administration. Excellent Idea. December 1st would be great ...unless the courts are...
by Helius
Sun Sep 14, 2008 1:32 am
Forum: General
Topic: ...
Replies: 7
Views: 4061

Huh?

How is this this thread different that a run of the mill partisan political troll that can easily be posted anywhere else on the Internet? Why is it here?
by Helius
Sun Sep 14, 2008 1:11 am
Forum: Administration
Topic: Too much politics?
Replies: 14
Views: 15907

As said above, as long as it's kept in political threads and is constructive towards getting to the bottom of disagreements, it shouldn't be a problem for anyone. I agree. Don't anyone ever hijack an economic, technical, or social discussion to promote some political bent. That ticks most of us off...
by Helius
Sat Sep 13, 2008 2:28 am
Forum: News
Topic: TOKAMAK Instabilities
Replies: 25
Views: 16660

That's why the Polywell has a customer while the Tokamak doesn't, and hasn't had one for at least 25 years. Not trying to read too deeply into this statement, but it sounds like (at least as of yesterday) the Navy is still on board. To what capacity is anyone's guess. Yes, it seems so. I think that...
by Helius
Wed Sep 10, 2008 12:16 am
Forum: News
Topic: New Alan Boyle article
Replies: 49
Views: 31401

There seems to be 2 paths to take, 1) right to WB-100, or as Simon says the sub steps. I tend to side with Simon, though Dr Nebel wants WB-100, and that works for me too. I dont see one path as bad and the other as good. The biggest problem is setting, then breaking, personal expectations of a net ...
by Helius
Tue Sep 09, 2008 9:19 pm
Forum: News
Topic: New Alan Boyle article
Replies: 49
Views: 31401

Barry Kirk wrote: Can a Tokamak breed all of it's own Tritium or does it need to be supplemented?
I heard that a Tokamak power plant was to breed 1.05X it's own tritium requirements. Hmmmm. yea, right.
by Helius
Tue Sep 09, 2008 9:10 pm
Forum: News
Topic: New Alan Boyle article
Replies: 49
Views: 31401

Someone correct me if I'm wrong but hasn't it been understood from the beginning that "Phase 2" of this project would be to proceed directly to the 100MW demo reactor assuming WB-7 gave results similar to WB-6? I think a 100MW "demo" is way over the top, since they have no way of knowing the hurdle...
by Helius
Tue Sep 09, 2008 4:46 pm
Forum: General
Topic: Which party will support this effort?
Replies: 148
Views: 51625

Re: Effect of Present Value tables.

They're sitting on the light sweet crude for now, which tick's quite a few people off. That is a conspiracy theory for sure. Boy oh boy. A large conspiracy theory too, for every oil producing nation, every oil company on the planet is acting in concert in order to accomplish this goal. Bar keep, ge...
by Helius
Mon Sep 08, 2008 11:03 pm
Forum: General
Topic: Which party will support this effort?
Replies: 148
Views: 51625

Effect of Present Value tables.

Sigh. No, it isn't. There's a very important concept in business called TVM, time value of money, which essentially means a dollar today is worth more than a dollar tomorrow. Exactly, Present Values of $$$ would tend to motivate oil companies to push development forward in time, yet they supposedly...