Nuclear fusion breakthrough: 'Holy grail' of power production is closer to reality as the world's biggest reactor - capable of reaching 200 MILLION degrees Celsius - is turned on in Japan

The Daily Mail ^ | 4 December 2023 | Jonathan Chadwick

[Alas Babylon!]

It could usher an era of limitless clean, safe and affordable energy to meet the world's demand.

Now, the 'holy grail' of power production – nuclear fusion, which makes the sun and the stars shine – has come a step closer.

Scientists have switched on JT-60SA, a £500 million fusion device measuring around 40 feet in diameter, located in Naka north of Tokyo, Japan.

JT-60SA contains swirling plasma heated up 200 million degrees Celsius (360 million degrees Fahrenheit).

This is the threshold where hydrogen atoms can begin to fuse into helium, releasing sustainable energy in the process that could put an end to fossil fuels.

[fuzzylogic]

“has come a step closer”

While we have no idea how many ‘steps’ it’ll take...

[qaz123]

What could wrong?

Godzilla here we come.

[griswold3]

Exactly. This should be marketed towards solving poverty in third world countries. Access to reliable, cheap energy is what made America great. It could lift everyone.
unfortunately, we know the truth and it isn’t their goals are not altruistic.

[Fresh Wind]

Is this a BOOM?

[salmon76]

You want Godzilla? Because that’s how you get Godzilla.

Of course, anyone knows that. Soon, they'll be screaming in Tokyo, "Godzirra, Godzirra!"

[Lazamataz]

It’s just TWENTY YEARS AWAY!

[ridesthemiles]

SOOOOOOOOOOO——”GLOBAL WARNING” is our major problem & this equipment can produce WHAT TEMPS????

[PGR88]

it takes a lot of energy to heat something to 200 million degrees.

The article didn’t say if they actually achieved fusion, and more importantly - did they actually GAIN energy from the process.

[Lazamataz]

Oh no
There goes Tokyo
Go go Godzilla!

[Lazamataz]

Exactly. This should be marketed towards solving poverty in third world countries. Access to reliable, cheap energy is what made America great.

Do you really want Somolia to be GREAT?

[Lazamataz]

Besides, think of Godzilla in Somolia.

He'd have ready access to AK47's and RPGs.

If he didn't starve first.

[Seruzawa]

Fusion will not be made viable in the USA. We have the DoE which exists to protect the status quo. It’ll be made viable elsewhere. Maybe Japan or South Korea. We’ll have to import the tech.

[Lazamataz]

SOOOOOOOOOOO——”GLOBAL WARNING” is our major problem & this equipment can produce WHAT TEMPS????

There's a temperature where Global Warming no longer matters.

I'd say 200 million degrees should do it.

[dragonblustar]

LMAO! 🤣

[PapaBear3625]

They will tout fusion until it actually works.

THEN they will notice that the deuterium-tritium fusion reaction produces high-energy neutrons in addition to helium, and the effect those neutrons have on the reactor components, and declare that fusion is bad too.

[Lurker]

“Theoretically, there is another “input..”

That input was gravity.

L

[Wuli]

The risk I hope they have developed a fool proof answer for is how do they insure the sustainability of the magnetic field that heeps the plasma from melting the whole thing down. If something were to interfere with, reduce, or shut off the magnetic field surrounding the plasma, the entire plant would melt down.

[PapaBear3625]

You need tritium (radioactive hydrogen isotope with two neutrons). You get tritium by hitting lithium with neutrons.

You need a FISSION reactor breeding tritium from lithium in order to have tritium for fusion. Yes, the D-T reaction generates high-energy neutrons that can breed more tritium if they line the reactor with lithium, but that only works if you have no losses.

[chopperk]

If that thing blowup, it will take out half the world.

[Salman]

Electric everything eventually, if technological civilization doesn't destroy itself.

Meanwhile, our own elites are pushing it in a way that hurts everybody while deliberately sabotaging our electrical infrastructure.

If ever fusion turns out to work as promised, I predict our elites will find a reason to be against it.