787
puts hair on ya chest (mander.xyz)
submitted 2 years ago by fossilesque@mander.xyz to c/science_memes@mander.xyz
94 comments fedilink hide all child comments
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] Zink@programming.dev 1 points 2 years ago

Yeah I agree, and you still hear that BS about fusion power, that it will be an unlimited source of cheap/free clean energy.

I guess I could imagine scenarios where power is not metered and is supported via taxes, maybe in a scenario where citizens have a right to energy just like a right to healthcare. It’s not free by any means, but the people who make the most money and thus benefit the most from the infrastructure end up paying into it the most. And the truly poor would get free (to them) electricity.

[-] psud@aussie.zone 1 points 2 years ago

I really wonder about fusion. Most of the news of energy production higher than energy input is about non-electricity fusion - the big tokamak fusion systems are not yet producing more power than they take to run, but scientists working on them are expecting good results soon

Like when I was a kid fusion was 20 years away and would always be 20 years away. Now it looks like it'll be 5 years away for a while

[-] Zink@programming.dev 1 points 2 years ago

I like to follow fusion news whenever I see it, and I think the situation might be even worse than you’re describing, lol.

The news about ignition and/or more energy out than in, that refers to the energy actually delivered to the sample versus the full energy released from the sample. So it doesn’t include all the energy needed to charge and fire the lasers that was lost along the way. And like you said, it’s the thermal power they’re measuring, and you lose a huge amount of that power when converting to electricity.

I think we’re still firmly in the “fusion is 20/30 years away” cycle.

[-] psud@aussie.zone 1 points 2 years ago

I'm hanging out for when ITER is operational. There's every chance it runs at or just over 1:1

[-] Zink@programming.dev 1 points 2 years ago

Oh yeah, I think ITER is supposed to have a Q of like 10, so maybe they can produce a net gain system-wide.

this post was submitted on 12 Oct 2024
787 points (99.1% liked)

Science Memes

20629 readers
2202 users here now

Welcome to c/science_memes @ Mander.xyz!

A place for majestic STEMLORD peacocking, as well as memes about the realities of working in a lab.

Meta Post Tags

Rules

  1. Don't throw mud. Behave like an intellectual and remember the human.
  2. Keep it rooted (on topic).
  3. No spam.
  4. Infographics welcome, get schooled.

If you are here asking: "Is this a science meme?"

Probably, yes. We use the Dawkins definition of meme: a replicating idea, not just an image macro with a fact on it. A good post here doesn't need to teach you something. It needs to make you ask something: who, what, where, when, and especially why or how.

Science isn't a filing cabinet of facts, it's a conversation. For example, a photo of an eel or other localized wildlife counts because most people never see one, and wonder is the first step of inquiry. A car meme counts if it makes you curious about what's under the bonnet. If you want to talk about something you noticed in the world, chances are someone else wants to talk about it too.

We moderate for vibe, not category. Pruning is light, especially where a post creates interesting discussion. Experimenting is encouraged.

See the pinned paper on Shitposting as Public Pedagogy if you want the academic case for why this works.

Research Committee

Other Mander Communities

Science and Research

Biology and Life Sciences

Physical Sciences

Humanities and Social Sciences

Practical and Applied Sciences

Memes

Miscellaneous

founded 3 years ago
MODERATORS
Sal@mander.xyz
fossilesque@mander.xyz
SciBot@mander.xyz
fossilesque@lemmy.dbzer0.com