US Makes Historic Breakthrough in Nuclear Fusion Energy

With a recent breakthrough in nuclear fusion technology, US scientists were the first to generate a reaction that created more energy than it consumed. Although the prospects for commercializing the technology is still decades away, money is pouring into the space with the likes of billionaires such as Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates already investing. Yet there is one well-known individual who isn't quite sold on it being the answer to the world's clean-energy needs.

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[Cosmicbrownies]

"The power of the sun, in the palm of my hand"

[mrdato]

Are we gonna get power armor from fallout 4?

[lyntwo]

Commercial viability is probably still decades away....

So, check back in day of 2042?

[pauldpoulpe]

The media need to stop treating Elon musk like he is some sort of visionary. He is just an opportunist that would say anything that could bring him more flame, err... fame, and money, through the mess he stirs up.

[cahyosuryono]

Make a crops bigger and faster to Harvest but you cant eat it.
What's the point then

[zoezulma]

The gain in energy in this breakthrough is about 1.5, 2.05 megajoules of energy in and 3.15 megajoules of energy out. A megajoule of electricity costs about $0.05. They can run the system once a day to allow the system to cool so the amount of energy produced per year would be worth 3.15 times $0.05 times 365 = $57.49, except the efficiency of converting this energy to electricity is maybe 50% so the actual value of energy produced might be $30 less $20 for energy in, so we are looking at $10 a year. Each pellet of fuel contains isotopes and costs around $10, 000 to produce. The cost of running the facility with the world's largest laser, the containment area, the electricity for the laser not counted as energy in, and the staff might be around $50 million a year, all to produce $10 worth of electricity. When will nuclear fusion be commercially viable? I would say the 12th of Never.

[mikhailkravets]

we don't have materials for nuclear technology, we buy all from Russia if Russia don't sale all ours 100 nuclear station stop and country collapse.

[mauradlayouni]

Fusion makes a lighter element and the missing mass is the energy.

[special]

How come energy prices around the world did not drop if this is such a breakthrough?

[smik]

Ehm, I hate to ruin it for you but Russia discovered this like few months ago