[conservatism_IS_compassion]

If the purported fusion breakthrough that Lockheed is touting turns out to be real . . . There would be a mad rush to pump and sell oil while it had value.

Do you suppose the plunge to $87/barrel is the start of that? Could the markets be taking Lockheed’s claims seriously???

[Bobalu]

I doubt it but I’m not a market expert and have no insider knowledge.

If scientists in general were to start expressing optimism about Lockheed’s chances at succeeding in this research then yes, that would dramatically alter the oil market.

[jiggyboy]

“Could the markets be taking Lockheed’s claims seriously??? “

I say no. First, it’s really just a press release at this point as far as I know. Second, if were real today, and I think that’s a big if, it would be twenty years before they’d actually have a plant in operation.

Third, Wall Street doesn’t think that far ahead. Go back to the housing bubble for example. Anybody who was paying attention knew homebuilders, the mortgage companies specializing in cut-rate mortgages, and Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae were all dead in the water in 2004, 2005, and 2006. But those stocks remained at all-time highs well after housing starts and housing prices peaked and started to drop. Then those stocks collapsed by 60, 70, 90 percent and more in just a couple of weeks.

[piasa]

The markets might be taking seriously Obama’s alleged plan to drop sanctions on Iran.