Talk-Polywell.org

10. US Navy funds Bussard Fusion

I think you have to include the US Navy funding Bussard Fusion in there:

http://www.defensenews.com/story.php?F=3139619&C=navwar

Bussard died a couple months ago. I had really given up on fusion, but his work actually appears to have a reasonable change to work. Hopefully with more funding his team will be able to make it work.

Yes, Dr. Bussard's work will be carried on. First step is to construct WB-7 and replicate the results achieved with WB-6. Hopefully by the end of April 2008. If that works, then on to WB-8, and then an actual power generating plant.

http://i-r-squared.blogspot.com/

The I R Squared Blog piece is great. Lots of interesting links.

Roger,

Thanks for the link at DKOS.

BTW I think global temperatures have fallen .4 deg C in 2007. i.e. 2/3s of the warming from the last 30 years. This can be attributed to the end of solar cycle 23 which was the highest in 1,000 years (or 8,000 years depending on who you believe).

Solar cycle 24 is very late in starting (we have yet to see the first sunspot from that cycle) . Late starting cycles usually mean weak cycles.

Some solar scientists are predicting a little ice age based on solar circulation. From the indications they could very well be right.

If this is so we are going to need the Bussard Reactor more than ever.

I mention this because I saw a KOS diary about the 400 scientists who are sceptics that Rep Inhofe is promoting. None of the folks responding to that diary presented counter arguments (or links to counter arguments) just what amounted to statements of belief. Along with suggestions of shutting down the other side. That is not science. Science depends on doubt to get at the truth.

Perhaps you might want to post this about the true nature of science:

http://wwwcdf.pd.infn.it/~loreti/science.html

It is Feynman on Cargo Cult Science. In fact it might be good to do a diary to the value of doubt in science. You could take it to the next level and discuss the value of doubt in politics - however, that might be too much :-)

As you know I still harbor doubts about the Polywell science (small) and our ability to make it work on large scale (not so small). There is so much we do not know.

MSimon wrote:The I R Squared Blog piece is great. Lots of interesting links.

Hes hangs @ TOD Too.

What is TOD?

MSimon wrote:As you know I still harbor doubts about the Polywell science (small) and our ability to make it work on large scale (not so small). There is so much we do not know.

Simon, I also have doubts. The great thing about science and engineering is that we can have doubts and still be "believers" in the idea. Being an ex-fundamentalist myself, I strongly encourage the testing of all precepts, especially those which are reluctant to allow for honest questioning due to political influence.

Regards,
Tony Barry

MSimon wrote:What is TOD?

The Oil Drum, IIRC you are member there.

Tony & MSimon...

I hope.... ... as long as the scaling is close, and the end result is practical, thats great. But the scaling cant be that far off, and many other issues can't be that far off.

SO many individual hurdles...