Thank you, Talk-Polywell

Discuss life, the universe, and everything with other members of this site. Get to know your fellow polywell enthusiasts.

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billh
Posts: 18
Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2010 2:14 pm
Location: Houston, TX

Thank you, Talk-Polywell

Post by billh »

I've been mostly lurking here at Talk-Polywell for nearly 15 years. I'm a chemical engineer, a geek, and - until I retired a couple of months ago - an engineering software developer for over 40 years. I love this forum. It is the best place for keeping an eye on the progress toward fusion. The physics is mostly over my head but you guys "splain it" to me.

I check in periodically to see what's new. The fact that traffic here is low is actually an advantage for folks like me. The forum functions like a headline service for fusion research and commercialization. It's exciting to see how progress in tech (computers, electronics, magnets, materials) has enabled rapid fusion progress in recent years. I'm delighted to see capital investment pouring in now to supplement government research money, which has for too long been very narrowly focused on one approach.

Fusion has historically been a field that requires great patience, it seems. My brother-in-law Tom studied nuclear fusion in the 1970s at MIT. Dr. David Rose was his advisor. But Tom became so discouraged about the likelihood of success during his working career that he changed his research topic to novel coal technologies! (The Carter administration funded coal research in response to the Oil Crisis of the 1970s.)

Now I periodically ping Tom with links to articles I find referenced here about the renaissance of fusion research and the accelerating commercial push toward actual fusion power plants. It turns out he was right, though. Fusion power never did happen during his working career. He retired a couple of years ago after a long career in the conventional power industry. But it's a different world now!

Thanks to all of you for giving me a window into the world of fusion.

JoeStrout
Site Admin
Posts: 284
Joined: Tue Jun 26, 2007 7:40 pm
Location: Fort Collins, CO, USA
Contact:

Re: Thank you, Talk-Polywell

Post by JoeStrout »

Hey Bill, I'm so glad you find the forum useful, and thank you for saying so. :)
Joe Strout
Talk-Polywell.org site administrator

Munchausen
Posts: 226
Joined: Mon Sep 17, 2007 5:36 pm
Location: Nikaloukta

Re: Thank you, Talk-Polywell

Post by Munchausen »

I should have shared a word of appreciation earlier.

This forum is a really really valuable resource. No news is no news and a generally disciplined mode of discussion focused on a better level of understanding.

For example, Giorgio, who seems to be knowleadgeable person, expresses himself like "I'm worried that...." instead of various derogatory lamentations.

High class.

Lets keep it that way. If you have nothing to say, say nothing.

Giorgio
Posts: 3061
Joined: Wed Oct 07, 2009 6:15 pm
Location: China, Italy

Re: Thank you, Talk-Polywell

Post by Giorgio »

Munchausen wrote:
Thu Oct 27, 2022 1:31 pm
I should have shared a word of appreciation earlier.

This forum is a really really valuable resource. No news is no news and a generally disciplined mode of discussion focused on a better level of understanding.

For example, Giorgio, who seems to be knowleadgeable person, expresses himself like "I'm worried that...." instead of various derogatory lamentations.

High class.

Lets keep it that way. If you have nothing to say, say nothing.


Thank you for these kind words. I think that every member of this board deserves them, including the one that during the years stopped posting for many different reasons.

In 2009 I also joined because of the competence of the people and the quality of discussions here. And even if now we are less, this is still one of those rare places on the internet that I consider worth checking whenever work and life allow me to do so.

So let me also join you in thanking everyone for taking their time to research, study and post all the news, ideas and opinions that we all enjoy as a group.

Thank you!
A society of dogmas is a dead society.

Skipjack
Posts: 6805
Joined: Sun Sep 28, 2008 2:29 pm

Re: Thank you, Talk-Polywell

Post by Skipjack »

I totally agree!
This forum is the only place where I feel I can talk freely. Most people here are enthusiastic, even if sometimes critical. But if they are, comments are thoughtful and well and politely worded (most of the time anyway ;) ). Learned a lot from that. Unfortunately a lot of people left in the "dark years". Missing all of them.
While the fusion Reddit has more traffic, it is a lot less pleasant.
So welcome to the board Bill!
Please stay and please feel free to engage! We don't bite (usually ;) ).

Diogenes
Posts: 6967
Joined: Mon Jun 15, 2009 3:33 pm

Re: Thank you, Talk-Polywell

Post by Diogenes »

JoeStrout wrote:
Sat Aug 13, 2022 6:50 pm
Hey Bill, I'm so glad you find the forum useful, and thank you for saying so. :)

I also appreciate your providing the forum Joe. I'm sure we all do.
‘What all the wise men promised has not happened, and what all the damned fools said would happen has come to pass.’
— Lord Melbourne —

ltgbrown
Posts: 198
Joined: Mon Jun 22, 2009 11:15 am
Location: Belgium

Re: Thank you, Talk-Polywell

Post by ltgbrown »

Totally agree!
Famous last words, "Hey, watch this!"

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