this post was submitted on 06 Apr 2024
824 points (98.5% liked)

science

15012 readers
274 users here now

A community to post scientific articles, news, and civil discussion.

rule #1: be kind

<--- rules currently under construction, see current pinned post.

2024-11-11

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

48 seconds. I predict a glut of helium. balloons for everyone

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] CosmicCleric 123 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (34 children)

I can’t wait for the billionaires to increase our power bills for this.

Yes yes I know it would be cheaper, but billionaires are going to charge more money even though it’s costing them less.

You know, not everything has to be "eat the rich".

This could just be a really neat science article/discussion about a fusion test, and have no need to bring up Capitalism.

The constant complaining just gets old after a while. Be focused, if you want to be listen to, and taken seriously.

[–] [email protected] -3 points 8 months ago (5 children)

It's fair that the constant complaining does get old, and the eat the rich shit is VERY old. But I don't see power bills getting cheaper as a result of this technology eventually becoming viable. At least not at first. Especially when in the US you have people like Warren Buffet who buys power companies and immediately raises prices by around 50% as a matter of routine.

[–] CosmicCleric 10 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (3 children)

But I don’t see power bills getting cheaper as a result of this technology eventually becoming viable. At least not at first. Especially when in the US you have people like Warren Buffet who buys power companies and immediately raises prices by around 50% as a matter of routine.

Ah! Now this is a conversation we can have. (Gets on soapbox.)

With all the talk about cheap fusion energy, no discussion is ever made about how it's going to fit in with our existing capitalistic system, and what happens to all the companies that exist worldwide that currently generate energy using other/classic means.

Do they all go bankrupt? If so, what does that mean to the different economies in the different countries?

Assuming they're willing to go bankrupt in the first place. What about if they fight back, if they flex their political power to prevent the cheap fusion energy from being realized?

Maybe they have governments subsidize them? If so, then so much for cheap energy, as we all pay more taxes to subsidize. At that point then why bother, economically that is. It still benefits the planet, so there's that.

Maybe the world powers decide to do nothing, and just shelve fusion power altogether, to protect their existing interests. Then what happens to the planet, as we get more and more into trouble using fossil fuel energies that harm the planet? Existing renewables (solar, etc.) aren't enough, so something else is needed as well.

We all joke and/or worry about fusion energy being here in 20 to 30 years, and how that 20 to 30 years always keeps sliding into the future, never coming to fruition. But the real problem is going to be once Humanity finally makes fusion power work practically, what does that mean to the status quo in power, and will they be accepting of it, and if not, what does the rest of us do about it?

TLDR: Does old power 'go quietly into that last good night' and allow new power to take over, or do they fight back? And what does that mean for all of us? And the planet?

(Gets off soapbox.)

[–] TheWoozy 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

We still don't know anything other than wild hand waving speculation about the eventual costs of fusion power. The ultimate solution may require a ton of unobtanium-spice alloy that has been tempered in a midoclorian bath. We have no F-ing clue what it'll cost. But I can guarantee that there will be state sponsored conspiracy theories about all aspects of it. So let's wait before we start fighting over the conspiracies. They are not ripe yet.

[–] CosmicCleric 1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

So let’s wait before we start fighting over the conspiracies.

Nothing wrong with starting the discussion. I guarantee you those who have something to lose are already thinking about it.

From another article...

—not least by thinking about issues of energy equity and justice. “When we have these plants, where do we place them so that we can provide a clean energy source for all types of communities?” the NIF's Ma asks. “How do we build up a workforce that is diverse? How do we ensure that as we are building up this industry, we are training folks to have the skills of the future? We get to at least try to do it right this time.”

As far as this goes...

The ultimate solution may require a ton of unobtanium-spice alloy that has been tempered in a midoclorian bath.

... I see what you did there. 😉

load more comments (1 replies)
load more comments (2 replies)
load more comments (30 replies)