The US led on nuclear fusion for decades. Now China is in position to win the race | CNN
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US companies and industry experts are worried they’re losing their decades-long lead in the race to master this near-limitless form of clean energy, as new fusion companies sprout across China, and Beijing outspends DC.
  • gedaliyah@lemmy.worldEnglish
    41·
    11 hours ago

    Fusion energy is still a distant pipe dream at this point. Don’t believe the hype.

    • Cocodapuf@lemmy.worldEnglish
      5·
      3 hours ago

      Honestly, I think we’re getting really very close! We’ve been in this cycle of eternally “30 years away”. These days we’re in a cycle of “5-10 years away”. That sounds like a joke, but we really are closing in.

      Now that said, while we can eventually get fusion to work, it will absolutely not solve all of our energy problems. Once it’s actually possible, it will still be the most expensive source of energy available. Which means once we can do it, we won’t actually want to do it.

      • Atrichum@lemmy.worldEnglish
        2·
        2 hours ago

        Maybe. The people who have always said 30 years were scientists and engineers. Those now saying 5 to 10 years are VC backed startups.

        Progress is definitely being made but I’ll believe the optimists when I see the results.

        • Cocodapuf@lemmy.worldEnglish
          1·
          48 minutes ago

          Those now saying 5 to 10 years are VC backed startups.

          It’s scientists and engineers saying it, it may also be VCs, but 5-10 is the official line from engineers.

          The bottom line is this, maybe one of these startups or smaller reactor designs will work, you never know. But at the end of the day, ITER is scheduled to be completed in 2034, and at that scale, it will be net energy positive, there’s no doubt.

  • ElectricAirship@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
    4·
    12 hours ago

    I read an article that China, while yes they are the outspending US in fusion research, also have exponentially more PhD’s working on the research as well.

    • ErilEnglish
      2·
      8 hours ago

      There are a lot more people living in China, so it makes sense too.