Plasma Focus Fusion

[jjohnson]

I noted today on Eric Lerner's Focus Fusion website that National Securities Technology has been working on a large plasma focus device using government funds, in Las Vegas. It is substantially larger than Lerner's device - still in its early testing stages - and has produced pretty hefty amounts of power. It's primary purpose does not seem to produce electricity, but particles, but nonetheless it represents another step on the road toward practical fusion. Focus Fusion's announcement notes that the largest such device is currently in Poland. While the National Securities' device is not classified, they apparently have been working under public disclosure restrictions.

That is one of the problems I have with accepting government funds. Golden Rule, and do they love to make the rules!

So far the focus fusion brotherhood are open and share information reasonably freely. I hope they can maintain that in the face of the inevitable government restrictions. I am not singling out the U.S. government; I am generalizing to governments just about anywhere.

The allegory here is how the EU paradigm is spread around the world. If it starts to look viable - i.e., threatening - to the Standard Government Model, expect to see more guidance toward EU compatible papers and research grants and "invented here" attitudes dismissive of early EU pioneers and current protagonists. Maybe I'm too cynical, but we reason with patterns and seeing a pattern may not make it true, but it's, well... reasonable, n'est çe pas?

Jim

[mharratsc]

By contrast to what Eric is doing, those clowns are probably trying to make a particle accelerator cannon... >.<

(Weapons Procurement Officer, DARPA):

"Who cares that it makes electricity!?! Does it blow s**t up, or NOT???"

I don't think Eric has anything to fear.

[JohnMalone]

So far the focus fusion brotherhood are open and share information reasonably freely.

This is actually encouraging, especially when I read the part of the article that says:

Dr. Hagen has been very friendly and open to LPP since we contacted him last month, and his experience with another large DPF will be extremely useful to us. We are continuing our collaboration with the Focus Fusion Society to set up closer collaboration among all the DPF groups in the world. The technical section of our Focus Fusion Newsletter, upcoming on Jan. 18 will be another step in this direction. http://focusfusion.org/index.php/site/article/275/

I know things can change, but every day is a new day for getting it right. So far, so good!
-John

[jjohnson]

John, above, pointed out that we need an address for this as Eric's stuff is on two web sites. Here it is:

http://focusfusion.org/index.php/site/a ... _unveiled/

You can use this to step back into the Focus Fusion Society's web page or like elsewhere if you want to explore further.

Mike, your remark about does it blow sh#* up, or NOT?? is so cool! Reminds me of my high school days, which have been hard to grow out of, sometimes, especially when this sort of thing comes up.

J