[HiTech RedNeck]

Let France pour money down a hole for 40 years if it wants.

At least the atom bomb (fusion/fission) and the fission reactor were children of a theory which actually worked out on paper before any construction began. And whaddya know, they went boom exactly as predicted. If someone could engineer credibly on paper a fusion design which would actually generate more power than it eats, then I would say let's go ahead and spend up to half the kingdom to build the darn thing. I get a sinking feeling that they aren't really finding out anything new about the physics of the process and they could already tell that what they are trying won't work.

[Banjoguy]

Like all research, except in rare instances, scientific discovery can be slow painful process. The endeavor to initiate a fusion reaction is not trivial. In this case, even after initiation, control and repeatability present a set of unique problems.

The experiments, or 'shots' should continue as substantial progress has been made in generating increasingly larger terawatt outputs utilizing the z-pinch approach.

Progress has been slow but results have been positive. http://plasma-gate.weizmann.ac.il/ZP/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Z-Pinch

[Vis Numar]

Let France pour money down a hole for 40 years if it wants.

Speaking of money holes, what's IRaq at now, gotta be over $200 B's down that mideast rathole by now (I know, I know, sacred cow...).

The amount of energy independence that amount could buy is staggering.

[freeangel]

"Let France pour money down a hole for 40 years"

If I'm not mistaken, the "US" has agreed to generously support this project for france. How smart is that?