Talk-Polywell.org

Hi Guys,

It looks like this happened a while ago. The video was posted online at the end of 2013 - but the presentation is likely 2008.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drXUjwo1Jyc

I do not speak Italian. Here is the description translated:

Robert Bussard and Research Frontier Clean on Nuclear Fusion

The conference shall focus on research in the field of nuclear fusion clean. We will try to understand first of all what is nuclear fusion, how it works and the differences between it and the nuclear reactions used in nuclear reactors "traditional" (fission). We will see what benefits you will get from this form of energy and as a contribution was given to this research by physicist Robert Bussard, with his method "Polywell". For fans of Star Trek the name Bussard is not new, in fact he named the "Bussard collectors", which are those red caps often found on the front of the engines of spaceships of Star Trek. But not everyone knows that Robert Bussard has dedicated his life to the study of systems for the generation of nuclear energy and their use in space. His latest research has allowed us to conceive a new type of reactor that can take advantage of the very special fusion reactions that produce clean energy to 100%: In these reactions, in fact, is the fuel used, and waste products, are inert substances.
The conference was held in 2008 by Ing. Nimbus Buldrini (FOTEC, Austria) as part of the twenty-second edition of the convention of Star Trek Italian Club, at the European Congress Centre in Bellaria of Rimini.

It's not really a Polywell/Bussard talk, is just a local Trekkie Club conference on future energy reactors, Bussard is mentioned as introduction to the concept of fusion as a new energy source mainly because in the front of the nacelle of the Enterprise there are two electromagnetic collectors called "Bussard collectors". From there the guy explain what was the science-fiction use of said collectors, what is reality as we know today, and gives a general overview on fusion theory and several fusion research.

Many point was not well explained, some oversimplified while some other was well detailed. Overall not bad for a Trekkie conference, but of course nothing too technical considering that it was offered to a general public.

I seem to recall Dr. Bussard was not aware until after the first show ended that Star Trek used the idea of his magnetic ram-scoop for providing fuel to the engines of starships in flight.

krenshala wrote:I seem to recall Dr. Bussard was not aware until after the first show ended that Star Trek used the idea of his magnetic ram-scoop for providing fuel to the engines of starships in flight.

I assume the hydrogen fuel would be for the impulse engines and not the warp engine/drive of which I fondly recall Scotty often complaining about matter-antimatter fuel?

I ask this as a fan of the show but I was never enough of a Trekkie to read up on all the sci-fi spec sheets and such where I guess this would be documented