Talk-Polywell.org

How does this compare to Polywell? My science background is not in this field, and rather ... out of date.

I doubt (1) is on the menu, since the scaling law tests aren't really what they're working on, just more rigorous confirmation of what Bussard reported in the first place. (2) is possible but (IMO) unlikely. (3) is a real possibility, but it again depends on what Dr. Nebel and friends are working o...

What ARE the questions being asked on this? I thought they were looking for supporting evidence as to whether a BFR will actually produce net power. But come to think about it, I don't really know. If I am right I guess we should expect an announcement similar to one of the below: 1. We have essenti...

Any idea when we might hear something official? I thought someone had mentioned "by spring." Is that still true?

Does anyone on this board know about the concept of the fusion torch? What do you think?

However it is done, I think we need to get off imported oil ASAFP. Every time I put gas in the car, I feel like a very small part of my money ends up as shrapnel in some Marines leg or hurts some Iraqi kid. It may even kill the chance for some Iranian college student to speak her mind. I know everyt...

She is correct. Good solutions to difficult problems _always_ causes new problems to come to the forfront. This is as true for Society as it is for the individual. Good solutions don't cause a "problemless" state, they just create an improved state, with new Challenges "coming to the fore". It both...

A friend of mine, who doesn't believe global warming is mainly human induced, says that if Polywell works, enviro's will start to claim that the estimates of CO2 were off and we will need to cut back even more than thought. She thinks they will come up with new cut-back levels that will, convenientl...

What can we do to ameliorate the situation? Not much. If we can get electrical costs at the bus bar for electrical energy to come in at less than natural gas, BFRs will be used as peakers. If it comes in at coal prices and can be modulated over a 2:1 range it will replace base load and peaker plant...

Will it come to violence? Nah, not likely. Again, the vast majority of people will benefit. The losers will be certain corporations, and corporations generally prefer lawyers and lobbyists to violence. I think I agree here. I don't expect oil workers or coal miners to go nuts - at least, not en mas...

Thanks for all the responses. This is very interesting stuff. And now for the 24.864760137 slug gorilla in the room: what about the chances for violence? People displaced at work or otherwise ill affected by this technology? What about terrorism? Should we expect an upswing as terrorists realize a b...

That would be nice, but you have to remember that they will make vastly less money on Polywell than oil because oil is a scarce resource while Polywell is essentially intellectual property. I once read that capitalists like competition – at least until they are the ones that have to compete. That s...

So what happens to places like Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, and Venezuela in the first year after the announcement, then after 5 years and then 15 years+? How will OPEC react during this period? Do you think some of these places will follow in the footsteps of Dubai?

Reaction would probably be similar to when the Wright brothers invented the first aircraft. Nonbelief and skepticism, until they go on the power grid and electricity bills start to drop. That sounds reasonable. Electricity prices going down, and/or a space probe getting to Pluto in 9 months and sen...

To Kirkpatrick Sale, Richard Duncan, James Kunstler, Jeremy Rifkin, and all their neo-Malthusian and/or luddite ilk, I would happily extend an upturned middle finger. They are individually and collectively deserving anyway, but it would be extra-sweet to see their apocalyptic visions chased away. I...