BBC Horizon: Can We Make a Star on Earth?

[Alex Cured]

I want a nuclear kettle!

... for my nuclear family

 

[Andy_Ross]

I want one of those Nuclear Ovens that they had in Thunderbirds with the big control rodss you push in and out to control the heat.

 

[Myriad]

The problem with useful controlled fusion power is that it's actually a lot harder than "making a star on earth."

If you could build a reactor that maintained a cubic meter of hydrogen plasma at the same pressure and temperature as the average cubic meter of the sun, it would produce insufficient fusion power to run a quartz watch. (If would be able, in principle, to continuously generate that piddling amount of power for billions of years without refueling, but so what?) The sun burns (fuses) its fuel ridiculously slowly; it's able to generate enormous power and reach high temperatures only because it's so huge.

For useful power generation we need fusion to occur rapidly (using up its charge of fuel in minutes to days rather than in billions of years) in a small space. We know this is possible in principle because thermonuclear bombs work. But it's rather sobering how large the factor is by which an h-bomb outperforms a star.

Respectfully,
Myriad

 

[megaresp]

The problem with useful controlled fusion power is that it's actually a lot harder than "making a star on earth."

If you could build a reactor that maintained a cubic meter of hydrogen plasma at the same pressure and temperature as the average cubic meter of the sun, it would produce insufficient fusion power to run a quartz watch. (If would be able, in principle, to continuously generate that piddling amount of power for billions of years without refueling, but so what?) The sun burns (fuses) its fuel ridiculously slowly; it's able to generate enormous power and reach high temperatures only because it's so huge.

For useful power generation we need fusion to occur rapidly (using up its charge of fuel in minutes to days rather than in billions of years) in a small space. We know this is possible in principle because thermonuclear bombs work. But it's rather sobering how large the factor is by which an h-bomb outperforms a star.

Wow, I had no idea. Thank you for adding this (and in case you're a Londoner, I'm sincere ).

I just figured it was really really hard to keep a 'sun' in the same place.

From your perspective, how likely do you think it is that we'll get fusion actually working?

And will I be able to buy a 'Mr Fusion' in my lifetime?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ce35PLu3PJE

ETA: According to the above video the secret to cracking fusion is actually caffeine.

 

[RussDill]

Good god, you're right! How did Cox miss this?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusion_cuisine

Speaking of Fusion, if you are ever at SFO airport gate 25, be sure to check out go bistro

http://www.gobistrosfo.com/

 

[megaresp]

Speaking of Fusion, if you are ever at SFO airport gate 25, be sure to check out go bistro

Oooooh, Tempura shrimp!

Must...fight...irrational...food...driven...desire...to...transit...through...San Francisco...and...endure...US...airport...transit...horrors...

wait, what's this? Japanese Curry with German Knockwurst!

"Irrational food driven desire" magically cured

 

[3point14]

Dara Ó Briain completed his Leaving Certificate in Ireland with 9 'A's at honours level and attended University College Dublin and studied mathematics and physics so it is a fair bet that he does.

And still got the triple point of water wrong.

Okay, I believe that the science moved on in the time between him finishing studying and him announcing to all and sundry that the triple point of water was 0°C, but I'm not going to let a little thing like that get in the way.

 

[megaresp]

And still got the triple point of water wrong

I remember in a later series of QI they took points off him for giving the wrong temperature in a previous series. I believe he was only 0.01 degrees out, or something similarly minuscule. His rant at the unfairness of it all was most entertaining (and intended to be so should anyone get the wrong idea).

 

[Professor Yaffle]

 

[erlando]

Dara O' Briain is my hero!