Eric Lerner's Focus Fusion Device Gets Funded

pln2bz writes "Eric Lerner, author of The Big Bang Never Happened, has received $600k in funding, and a promise of phased payments of $10 million if scientific feasibility can be demonstrated to productize Lerner's focus fusion energy production device. Unlike the Tokamak, focus fusion does not require the plasma to be stable, does not produce significant amounts of dangerous radiation, directly injects electrons into the power grid without the need for turbines and would only cost around $300k to manufacture a generator. Lerner's inspiration for the technology is based upon an interpretation for astrophysical Herbig-Haro jets that agrees with the Electric Universe explanation."

Comments

New page 1

[StrawberryFrog]

It's just a bit harder to take it seriously when the HTML title of the page is still set to "New Page 1"

Magneto?

[dasheiff]

I thought it said Eric Lehnsherr for a second.

Developmental Stages.

[Fieryphoenix]

Congratulations, Mr. Lerner. You've been promoted from crackpot to fraud. Here's your paycheck.

Re:Exactly the right approach.

[Chemisor]

Is it a bad omen that it costs about the same as a typical subprime mortgage?

Re:Exactly the right approach.

[moderatorrater]

Plus, the chances of me getting a backer for my "buttered toast and cat" turbine are much improved. Fantastic. Don't even try, PETA will shut you down before you can get any serious headway. That's what happened with MIT's monkey-weasel-mulberry bush bomb.

Re:Electric universe

[MightyMartian]

Translation: We have a pile of bullshit we're trying to sell, so we'll log into Slashdot as AC's and try a little astroturfing.

Here's a tip, you stupid shill, using the term "mainstream science" is a dead giveaway that you're a liar and/or a kook.

Re:Exactly the right approach.

[Hadlock]

Where can I send my check to fund this buttered toast and cat turbine project of yours?

when will they stop

[Anonymous Coward]

when will these scientists give up and let me ruin the planet.

remember kids, if you stop using oil the terrorists win.

Re:Electric universe

[flyingsquid]

Nope... as far as I've been able to tell, the electric universe "theory" is still purely in the realm of pseudoscience, being touted by various internet quacks. Of course, many of its proponents also believe that the empirical scientific method is some sort of outdated relic of a bygone era, so I'm not really sure what sort of standard they should be judged by. I'm actually really curious about where CMEF, the organization which gave Eric Lerner the $600 million in funding, got its money from. Their website doesn't seem to have that info, although it looks like they're trying to raise private funds via the interweb.

In related news, $750,000 has been awarded to Gene Ray to create a source of renewable energy based on his "Time Cube" concept, and $1.5 million for research into improved fission reactor designs has been awarded to Ludwig Hansen, a.k.a. Archimedes Plutonium.

Ford Focus Fusion

[chdig]

Sounds interesting, but I wish they'd named it after something other than a couple of Ford car models. Ford Fusion, Ford Focus, Focus Fusion?

If they'd wanted credibility, they shoulda gone for something like the Yaris Matrix or maybe the Fit Element.

Re:Electric universe

[Hope Thelps]

Translation: We have a pile of bullshit we're trying to sell, so we'll log into Slashdot as AC's and try a little astroturfing. An as agent of the shill consortium I can confirm that this is exactly right. Yesterday we got our check for $600 million. We considered running the experiment. We considered instead using the cash to lobby big business and government. We considered spending it on a big party. Then we realised that all the big players with REAL influence are on Slashdot. So we hired an army of shills to spread the message with their evil talk of "mainstream science". But with your keen insight you saw straight through us. Foiled again :(

Re:Exactly the right approach.

[Dr. Cody]

We just need to find perpetual motion machines based off of ugly animals.

Re:Electric universe

[flyingsquid]

I agree, and it's got to be better than some of the things the US Army has invested millions of dollars in, like the "gay bomb".

Actually, the gay bomb was a good use of our tax money. Not just good... I'd go so far as to call it fabulous.

But seriously, I disagree with the logic here: justifying an idiotic use of money (crazy-ass fringe science research into fusion) by pointing to a more idiotic use of money (gay bombs). It's like arguing, "I'm gonna burn twenty-dollar bills. Why? Because it's far less wasteful than burning hundred-dollar bills."

Re: Exactly the right approach.

[CptNerd]

Exactly my thought. ITER is costing US$ 9.3 billion. This costs 0.006% as much. If it is more than 0.006% as likely to work, then it's probably a good use of money. That reasoning works when you only consider one fringe idea. What happens if you try to fund *all* of them? You get "Ice IV" bridges on Jupiter, "spindizzies" and "Cities in Flight"?

Is this even LEGAL?

[gd23ka]

I can't really envision use of this technology in a home or small community without stringent
licensing to curb proliferation, taxation of manufacture, sale, possession and operation thereof
and the mandated remote control and monitoring of the device by the government.

There are also further ramifications to having 5MW or more of electrical power in the hands of an
individual. It could be used as a weapon or it could power improper research. The implications
of this device for our control paradigm get worse and worser as devices like that would see use
in developing countries where the control grid is still loosely meshed. Also it would serve to
empower the projects of rogue elites to defy us.

This is definitely not the kind of development our New World needs to see. This technology runs
counter to all our efforts to build a network of interdependence.

Re:not really new but it's interesting

[rbanffy]

Oh boy... If it works, I can easily see all the WMDs Turkey is hiding.

evaluation

[Tumbleweed]

1) Does this help my cereal stay crunchy in milk?

[ ] Yes!
[X] No!

If Yes, congratulations, you have made a valid contribution to society!

If No, fuck off, this has no bearing on real life. Get a haircut and a job, hippie.

My research project

[hulye]

I also need US$ 600k for my research project. It would be for purchasing a pair of sharks. I cannot tell the details in an open forum, but it has something to do with defence. Maybe his plasma jet device could also be used, I have not thought it before yet... So far I stuck with a kind of focused light device... But I've already told too much, I have to finish.

Re:Electric universe

[glittalogik]

I'd pay Gene Ray $750k to take a web design course.

Re:Nonsense

[Slashcrap]

Besides, what dope thinks fusion causes dangerous radiation to begin with? You've got to be fucking shitting me.