Team Confirms UCLA Tabletop Fusion

An anonymous reader writes "A team of New York physicists has confirmed that a tabletop contraption made at UCLA does in fact generate nuclear fusion at room temperatures, using pairs of crystals and a small tank of deuterium. But unlike less reliable reports back in the 1980s, there's no talk this time of producing endless supplies of power. Rather, the technology could lead to ultra-portable x-ray machines and even a wearable device that could provide safe, continuous cancer treatment."

Comments

Incredible (and im not talking about the article)

[MrTester]

Its amazingly clear that not only have few of you RTFA, most have not even gotten past the title before you threw out a post.

Its a whole 4 sentences which make it clear that this is NOT a power source, and half the posts are talking about its potential as a power source.

Now if I could just find a way to bottle the power of human stupidity...

Re:Key Application Overlooked

[Temkin]

You missed the other key application... A cheap ready supply of neutrons is exactly what you need to transmute elements... Sadly, this includes the most common element transmutation carried out by mankind to date... U-238 to Pu-239. Cheap tabletop neutrons means cheap Pu-239 without the cost & mess of having a breeder fission reactor...

This will make non-proliferation all the harder. :(

Re:Key Application Overlooked

[DerekLyons]

You missed the other key application... A cheap ready supply of neutrons is exactly what you need to transmute elements... Sadly, this includes the most common element transmutation carried out by mankind to date... U-238 to Pu-239. Cheap tabletop neutrons means cheap Pu-239 without the cost & mess of having a breeder fission reactor...

This will make non-proliferation all the harder. :(

Not really. You still have to mine and purify the uranium (a decidely non trivial task), then you have to bombard (literally) tons of U-238, then you have to extract the Pu from the U (extremely non trivial). Or, in short, while you avoid the messy step of a reactor - you still have a large and difficult (and messy) industrial process. (I.E. nation state level, not terrorist groups.)

Re:Incredible (and im not talking about the articl

[acacia]

Bottle the power of human stupidity? Sorry, you are too late. Look no further than the Vatican, Al Qaeda, or any other religions institution. Superstition, fear of death, and the promise of eternal life are all their tools, and with proper respect of their un-verifiable claims (faith), lack of reason, and willingness to submit you too can be their servant.

Re:A whole 2% are opened

[HUADPE]

I think the point was that you don't even need to get to the inspections point...just blow it up while it's still on the ship. Accuracate placement is not a high priority with fission bombs.