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ITER Fusion Reactor Enters Existential Crisis

Posted by timothy on from the sartre-says-it's-meaningless dept.

deglr6328 writes "The long beleaguered experimental magnetic confinement fusion reactor ITER is currently in what some are calling the worst crisis of its 25 year history. Still existing only on the paper of thousands of proposed design documents, the latest cost estimates for the superconducting behemoth are soaring to nearly 20 billion USD — roughly twice the estimates from as recently as a few years ago. Anti-nuclear environmentalist organizations have seized upon the moment as an opportunity to use the current global economic crisis as a means to push for permanently killing the project. If ITER is not built, the prospect of magnetic confinement fusion as a technique to reach thermonuclear breakeven and ignition in the laboratory would be in serious question. Meanwhile, the largest laser-driven inertial confinement fusion project, the National Ignition Facility, has demonstrated the ability to use self-generated plasma optical gratings to control capsule implosion symmetry with high finesse, and is on schedule to achieve ignition and potentially high gain before the end of the year."

5 of 470 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Fusion Reactor... Crisis?! by by+(1706743) · · Score: 5, Funny

    ITER Fusion Reactor Enters Existential Crisis

    Yeah, I read that and thought a fusion reactor had taken to wearing black clothes (from a thrift store), smoking (but only for affectation's sake) and contemplating existence in the face of this dark, heartless world.

    Who knew fusion reactors were so...emo?

  2. We're in a financial crisis! by Alarindris · · Score: 4, Funny

    All progress must stop so we can, um, stay in the financial crisis forever?

  3. Nuclear reactor creates Existentions... by girlintraining · · Score: 4, Funny

    ITER, Europe -- Physicists at the ITER Fusion Reactor announce new physics particle, known as the Existention. Previously only observed being emitted by cats placed in trap boxes filled with deadly acid, the creation of synthetic Existentions will open up a whole new line of research in quantum bogodynamics. An anonymous source close to the research team said it happened when the tight jeans worn by one of the research assistants distracted the operator of the reactor, causing what she loosely termed a "man event".

    --
    #fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
  4. As an anti-fusion environmentalist by by+(1706743) · · Score: 5, Funny

    Let me just say that fusion power is aweful; we should be using solar power instead.

    I'll just wait for the irony to sink in. Yeah.

  5. Re:ITER is too big by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny
    Good point. I'm sure none of these top scientists have NEVER EVEN FUCKING THOUGHT OF THAT YOU RETARDED BASTARD. WHY THE FUCK ARE THERE SO MANY IDIOTS WHO SOMEHOW BELEIVE THAT THEIR DUMBASS THOUGHTS ARE OF ANY USE AND HAVE NOT BEEN CONSIDERED BEFORE.

    it makes me want to kill myself over and over. It really does. also the caps limit thing is retarded also the caps limit thing is retarded also the caps limit thing is retarded also the caps limit thing is retarded also the caps limit thing is retarded also the caps limit thing is retarded also the caps limit thing is retarded also the caps limit thing is retarded