KitemanSA wrote: This is evidence to me that either the Polywell has proven itself ambiguously, or that folks in the Navy are just really stupid. I choose to believe the former. chrismb seems to choose the latter. Maybe I am just hearing him/her** wrong.
Not exactly, I think they're naive, rather than stupid, over a device which is still ambiguously unproven. ALL people [unconnected with the work] are naive over new technology, else it'd not be 'new'.
Right and properly (perhaps) the USN has seen fit to keep the pilot-light going on a project whose success would be almost unbelievable in impact, such that the probability of success can affort to be miniscule whilst still justifying previous funding (in better times).
The point of my earlier quip speculating on a conversation by some 'Black Shoes' in the USN was intended to show that whereas before this was good enough ("Hey. bung 'em some money" kinda attitude) all of a sudden energy projects are out in the open like bunnies in headlights and in such a situation you can easily imagine a lot of back-peddling and thinking "wow, we really have to get this thing looking Bristol fashion" (OK that's RN slang, but I don't know the USN equivalent!).
So, a bit of naivety, a real prospect for incredibly disruptive technology and some boot-shining before a formal inspection by the Old Man. Sure, these justify a spend [remember, I'm all for funding it] but does not a scientific claim make.
**(I have been identified as a male human on my birth certificate and appear to have maintained the same general physiology from birth, albeit with dimensional modifications over time.)