5 ms·

Humanity is on the cusp of practically limitless energy via nuclear fusion

28 points by Nilef 5y ago

Nilef 5y ago
Super interesting thread, I've always heard lots of doom and gloom about this on Hn threads but seems that there's been a pivotal step forward in the field with these new superconductors Can only imagine what the world would look like with a limitless energy source like this. Anyone see any reason not to be highly optimistic about this development?
- cyanydeez 5y ago
  if wealth ineauality continues, rich people will ensure it gets doled out for enclaves ot fascist governments. the politicial climate with a source of unlimited energy seems ripe for the wrong type of people. technology is not an unbiased "good"
- 20after4 5y ago
  It all comes down to who controls the tech. Rest assured it won't be set free for the greater good of all.
  - wait_a_minute 5y ago
    How do you know this? Why would they proliferate smartphones and internet and antibiotics and vaccines but not free energy?
    - mimixco 5y ago
      Not to be cynical, but because people who run things make a lot of money from smartphones, the internet, antibiotics, vaccines, and paid energy. We could have had free energy a long time ago (Tesla, the guy, not the company) but the wealthy men of that time (also energy guys, BTW), didn't want a free competitor. And still don't.
cs702 5y ago
If this is true, then humanity is also on the cusp of being able to eliminate the impact on climate from burning fossil fuels in one generation! :-)
- webmaven 5y ago
  > If this is true, then humanity is also on the cusp of being able to eliminate the impact on climate from burning fossil fuels in one generation! Depending on how you define 'generation', this may be unrealistic. Even if the whole world economy were to become carbon neutral tomorrow, it would be a while before greenhouse gasses started to go down, and that assumes we haven't already reached a tipping point for a runaway greenhouse effect. We're already seeing very worrying releases of methane from ocean floor clathrates and from melting permafrost, for example. Even optimistic scenarios suggest that it would be touch and go for the next couple of decades, and there is little evidence that our branch of the multiverse is following an optimistic scenario.
  - gary_0 5y ago
    Globally we have about 17,000 TWh (and increasing) of fossil fuel power generation we'll need to replace. It's gonna take a while, and that's very unfortunate.
    - webmaven 5y ago
      My point was that even if it was all replaced tomorrow, the extra greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere won't go away immediately, and the extra heat trapped won't either.
  - brokenmachine 5y ago
    >assumes we haven't already reached a tipping point for a runaway greenhouse effect. With limitless energy, we could just make some kind of Earth AC unit.
    - webmaven 5y ago
a3n 5y ago
Limitless power corrupts without limit.
- whythre 5y ago
  Pretty sure that is referring to political power rather than sustainable energy. I don’t think there is a direct link between energy efficiency and moral deficiency.
  - 20after4 5y ago
    Energy can be converted into political power fairly easily.
    - metaelectricion 5y ago
      Yeah I think I have an ac to autocracy step converter in my garage.
    - mimixco 5y ago
      And money. Lots and lots of money.
failwhaleshark 5y ago
Vaporware. It's been on the "cusp" for 50 years.
darepublic 5y ago
so can we be gifted a small fusion reactor from the government and then go home-steading in small, portable fusion powered eco friendly homes.
sunstone 5y ago
Yes, it's called 'the sun'.
bcrl 5y ago
My nephew and I were pondering the following question: what will the real world downsides of fusion be after it has been widely deployed for a few decades? Every time humans have developed a new technology, we have failed to foresee some of the inevitable downsides (in hindsight) of that new technology that only arise and become known after it is widely deployed. I'm curious if I'll be around long enough to see what the answer turns out to be.

28 points by Nilef 5y ago

Super interesting thread, I've always heard lots of doom and gloom about this on Hn threads but seems that there's been a pivotal step forward in the field with these new superconductors Can only imagine what the world would look like with a limitless energy source like this. Anyone see any reason not to be highly optimistic about this development?

cyanydeez 5y ago
if wealth ineauality continues, rich people will ensure it gets doled out for enclaves ot fascist governments. the politicial climate with a source of unlimited energy seems ripe for the wrong type of people. technology is not an unbiased "good"
20after4 5y ago
It all comes down to who controls the tech. Rest assured it won't be set free for the greater good of all.
- wait_a_minute 5y ago
  How do you know this? Why would they proliferate smartphones and internet and antibiotics and vaccines but not free energy?
  - mimixco 5y ago
    Not to be cynical, but because people who run things make a lot of money from smartphones, the internet, antibiotics, vaccines, and paid energy. We could have had free energy a long time ago (Tesla, the guy, not the company) but the wealthy men of that time (also energy guys, BTW), didn't want a free competitor. And still don't.

cs702 5y ago

If this is true, then humanity is also on the cusp of being able to eliminate the impact on climate from burning fossil fuels in one generation! :-)

webmaven 5y ago
> If this is true, then humanity is also on the cusp of being able to eliminate the impact on climate from burning fossil fuels in one generation! Depending on how you define 'generation', this may be unrealistic. Even if the whole world economy were to become carbon neutral tomorrow, it would be a while before greenhouse gasses started to go down, and that assumes we haven't already reached a tipping point for a runaway greenhouse effect. We're already seeing very worrying releases of methane from ocean floor clathrates and from melting permafrost, for example. Even optimistic scenarios suggest that it would be touch and go for the next couple of decades, and there is little evidence that our branch of the multiverse is following an optimistic scenario.
- gary_0 5y ago
  Globally we have about 17,000 TWh (and increasing) of fossil fuel power generation we'll need to replace. It's gonna take a while, and that's very unfortunate.
  - webmaven 5y ago
    My point was that even if it was all replaced tomorrow, the extra greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere won't go away immediately, and the extra heat trapped won't either.
- brokenmachine 5y ago
  >assumes we haven't already reached a tipping point for a runaway greenhouse effect. With limitless energy, we could just make some kind of Earth AC unit.
  - webmaven 5y ago

a3n 5y ago

Limitless power corrupts without limit.

whythre 5y ago
Pretty sure that is referring to political power rather than sustainable energy. I don’t think there is a direct link between energy efficiency and moral deficiency.
- 20after4 5y ago
  Energy can be converted into political power fairly easily.
  - metaelectricion 5y ago
    Yeah I think I have an ac to autocracy step converter in my garage.
  - mimixco 5y ago
    And money. Lots and lots of money.

failwhaleshark 5y ago

Vaporware. It's been on the "cusp" for 50 years.

darepublic 5y ago

so can we be gifted a small fusion reactor from the government and then go home-steading in small, portable fusion powered eco friendly homes.

sunstone 5y ago

Yes, it's called 'the sun'.

bcrl 5y ago

My nephew and I were pondering the following question: what will the real world downsides of fusion be after it has been widely deployed for a few decades? Every time humans have developed a new technology, we have failed to foresee some of the inevitable downsides (in hindsight) of that new technology that only arise and become known after it is widely deployed. I'm curious if I'll be around long enough to see what the answer turns out to be.