Posted on 02/04/2015 5:54:09 AM PST by TruthShallSetYouFree
A++++
Very nice poem.
She’s just as bored as me.
It amazes me, the will of instict
My thought wandered to the polywell, a fusion alternative that is the outgrowth of Philo Farnsworth's fusion in a vacuum tube of the late 1950s. (Philo was a polymath, yes.)
The polywell concept combines plasma temperatures with cryogenic superconductors, a virtual ion trap formed by a magnetic grid so that the ions will avoid the physical forms. It is elegant in configuration and gives off a pretty blue glow.
What is there in that complex system of contrasts for a polymath not to love?
A++++
Interesting post.
Well, I figure that solving the conundrum of fusion by building a globe-girdling tokamak does not solve the problem at all; it simply presents it as too big to be resolved through a rational degree of effort.
Producing fusion through either focus fusion or electrostatic inertial fusion, or even a laser approach, would be scalable to a real-world degree, and could be industrialized.
Dr. Robert Bussard wanted, really wanted, to be able to build a larger-scale “wiffle ball” (the electrostatic technique) which could be adapted to rocketry. He rather wistfully described some fantastic flight times such technology would provide.
And what is it that makes me conversant with these technological matters? Dude! I’m a poet!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.