worst case scattering and deeper wells
I recall reading as a young man that when Edison was inventing the light bulb he tried no less than 100 filaments before finding one that worked. It's good that Dr. Nebel is showing due diligence and playing the hand he's been dealt, but it seems a bit like asking Edison to invent the light bulb, and then telling him he only has time and budget to test one filament.
CHoff
The difference in this case is that Dr. Bussard spent a couple of decades trying filaments, got one to burn brightly just a bit, and now Dr. Nebel and company are trying to re-create Dr. Bussard's last filament, with a few refinements, so that it can be properly proved to work.
But essentially they only get a limited time and opportunity to prove they have done it.
The funny side of your analogy is, we often used light bulb filaments as electron emitters, but they were tungsten instead of carbonized bamboo. I believe tungsten filaments were actually developed by Westinghouse!
But essentially they only get a limited time and opportunity to prove they have done it.
The funny side of your analogy is, we often used light bulb filaments as electron emitters, but they were tungsten instead of carbonized bamboo. I believe tungsten filaments were actually developed by Westinghouse!
It is a challenge, not a hassle. And it's more of a relay race any way, nobody can carry the torch forever. It's our turn to keep it going, that's all.derg wrote:Such a shame that when such men pass on, it's the passing of so much more than just a man- we're also losing such amazing fountains of knowledge, wisdom, and inspiration...Picking up the torch of decades long experience in the field isn't impossible, but it can be a hassle.
For me what would hurt is the scenario where a totally unforseeable high voltage leak destroys WB7 in a similar way to WB6, and in the aftermath its found to be easily preventable in future attempts. But then the budget and time have run out on the project. Then it might take two or three more years to get enough support to renew the project, and the process repeats. It's a dumb question, but in the states can you get insurance on experimental high voltage equipment.
CHoff
Yes, you can buy insurance for anything! The cheapest insurance is taking your time and going in baby steps to make sure every piece of equipment does what you want when you want.
It's that old comparison of time = money. But there is also exponential growth of interest. Investing in a little time up front can pay off in less time to market in the long run. It's basic economics, but try explaining it to an MBA!
It's that old comparison of time = money. But there is also exponential growth of interest. Investing in a little time up front can pay off in less time to market in the long run. It's basic economics, but try explaining it to an MBA!
I have seen a lot of good work go down the tubes because people thought that making some target date was essential.drmike wrote:Yes, you can buy insurance for anything! The cheapest insurance is taking your time and going in baby steps to make sure every piece of equipment does what you want when you want.
It's that old comparison of time = money. But there is also exponential growth of interest. Investing in a little time up front can pay off in less time to market in the long run. It's basic economics, but try explaining it to an MBA!
Reminds me of the Zen story:
Master how long will it take me to master Zen Archery?
If you are diligent and pay attention it can be done in seven years.
What if I work really hard Master?
It may be that you could do it in five.
But Master what if I work really, really, hard?
You will never accomplish it.
Engineering is the art of making what you want from what you can get at a profit.
When you said ion focussing was a red herring, did you mean in order to get Dr. Bussards results in WB6 or did you mean to actually generate power? On electron recirculation, do you know whether that is due to electrons anneailing themselves at the top of the well (i.e where they are born) or whether it is simply that the cusps are sufficiently small to keep them in? Does WB7 have corners set at magrid voltages?rnebel wrote:I had a long talk with Luis Chacon about the ion scattering a few weeks back. We concluded that for the Polywell, these issues were a red herring. The reason is that the densities are so high in the Polywell that you really don't need the ion focussing to be all that good. If you are running a gridded system where particles are lost every 20 passes or so, then it is an issue. For the Polywell, the electron recirculation fraction appears to be ~ 1e5 so the effective energy loss from the electrons is small. Consequently, you don't need huge focussing to get the density high.
To the extent that we include life extension technologies in the same basket as revolutionary energy technologies, it remains more of a hassle than a challenge. Imagine if we could keep a Dr.Bussard or one of the numerous other intellectual giants around for a few more generations.. just imagine what could be accomplished. I'm fighting a two-tier battle: one for space (and consciousness) exploration, the other for life extension.drmike wrote:It is a challenge, not a hassle. And it's more of a relay race any way, nobody can carry the torch forever. It's our turn to keep it going, that's all.derg wrote:Such a shame that when such men pass on, it's the passing of so much more than just a man- we're also losing such amazing fountains of knowledge, wisdom, and inspiration...Picking up the torch of decades long experience in the field isn't impossible, but it can be a hassle.
Dr. B lived and worked until he was 78. If I can do at least as good I have 15 more years. My dad died at 82 and my mom is still going strong at 88.
Plus at todays rate of medical improvement I'm gaining another .8 year for every year I manage to keep going. In the next 10 to 20 years the gain will start to be >1.0 I could live forever.
Plus at todays rate of medical improvement I'm gaining another .8 year for every year I manage to keep going. In the next 10 to 20 years the gain will start to be >1.0 I could live forever.
Engineering is the art of making what you want from what you can get at a profit.
Exactly my point, glad you nailed it.MSimon wrote:Plus at todays rate of medical improvement I'm gaining another .8 year for every year I manage to keep going. In the next 10 to 20 years the gain will start to be >1.0 I could live forever.
How much longer do you think it will take, collectively, to invent and build an interstellar propulsion device? I think most experts in the field will agree that it will take longer than the remaining years that your anatomy will allow you to exist. Do you want to throw all the rest of your time into some noble basket, for the sake of future generations- of which you'll be entirely ignorant- or would you like to hang around a few more decades- or centuries- if not to participate in it, then at least for the sake of watching the grand spectacle unfold... I, and many others like me, aren't content to just accept our biological fate: just as we don't have to be condemned to this earth-bound existence, there is no divine rule that says we have to be condemned to a definite lifespan.