Worth watching about Helion: https://youtu.be/_bDXXWQxK38
Agreed - I had no idea they were skipping the steam/turbine stuff. This is a compelling concept because it looks like it could actually scale.
Microsoft Bets That Fusion Power Is Closer Than Many Think
21–30 of 86 posts
Re: Microsoft Bets That Fusion Power Is Closer Than Many Think
#22If we get fusion power and ai and longevity up in next 10-20 years it's going to be nightmare for ordinary people. Yeah, nightmare, not paradise.
A rapid transition would necessitate the need for legislative/policy changes. People aren't going to complacently waddle in "nightmares".
Workers already feel priced out of the housing market, just add it to the pile.
Re: Microsoft Bets That Fusion Power Is Closer Than Many Think
#23Earlier quoted context omitted.
Are most fusion reactor designs a national security concern? I am not a nuclear physicist but from my rudimentary understanding of most modern approaches I don’t see how they would help with bad stuff (other than creating material for a dirty bomb through waste perhaps)
Energy independence would upend a lot of international trade markets and therefore geopolitical stability in some areas. If you don't need Saudi Arabia for oil, why do you care what happens there?
Isn't that in everyone's interest besides KSA?
Re: Microsoft Bets That Fusion Power Is Closer Than Many Think
#24Microsoft Bets That Fusion Power Is Closer Than Many Think "Bet" implies a potential for loss. This is a couch-cushion spare change level "bet". Microsoft probably spends more on printer ink every month than they stand to lose on this bet.
https://www.cnbc.com/2023/05/10/microsoft-agrees-to-buy-powe...
> Helion’s deal with Microsoft is to get 50 megawatts online,
Looking at solar costs https://www.iea.org/data-and-statistics/charts/capital-costs... 50MW in solar would cost 50-100M and I can't imagine this could be much more expensive or it wouldn't be competitive at all. Microsoft annual operating expenses for 2022 were $114.887B so about a 1-2000 times more.
Re: Microsoft Bets That Fusion Power Is Closer Than Many Think
#25Microsoft Bets That Fusion Power Is Closer Than Many Think "Bet" implies a potential for loss. This is a couch-cushion spare change level "bet". Microsoft probably spends more on printer ink every month than they stand to lose on this bet.
It's a power purchase agreement.
They're going to get ~$50M worth of power. Either they're going to overpay for Fusion or overpay for energy from some other source if Helion can't deliver and has to pay for it via penalty.
It's not really much of a risk for MSFT.
But it's a great headline for Helion to pass on to clueless people.
Re: Microsoft Bets That Fusion Power Is Closer Than Many Think
#26Worth watching about Helion: https://youtu.be/_bDXXWQxK38
The response by Improbable Matter is also interesting in its own right https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vUPhsFoniw
Re: Microsoft Bets That Fusion Power Is Closer Than Many Think
#27Re: Microsoft Bets That Fusion Power Is Closer Than Many Think
#28If we get fusion power and ai and longevity up in next 10-20 years it's going to be nightmare for ordinary people. Yeah, nightmare, not paradise.
I don't see the fusion argument, but I can see the AI argument at least temporarily making lives worse. What is the argument that fusion power would? It would definitely destabilize countries like Saudi Arabia, but otherwise seems like a win. Even still you have to have petroleum products for most anything and everything.
Re: Microsoft Bets That Fusion Power Is Closer Than Many Think
#29Given the implications of this technology I wonder how much development is actually being done "in the open". And therefore how close to a breakthrough we are, whether a breakthrough has already occured and we are being fed delayed findings, and ultimately how a private organization like Microsoft would truly be able to access matured tech. Whether by incentive or by coercion, it feels like the DOD and the DOE would…
Given climate change, if Helion works then it would be in the interest of the US for it to spread worldwide as quickly as possible. Especially since it uses a mostly-aneutronic reaction.
Re: Microsoft Bets That Fusion Power Is Closer Than Many Think
#30Earlier quoted context omitted.
Are most fusion reactor designs a national security concern? I am not a nuclear physicist but from my rudimentary understanding of most modern approaches I don’t see how they would help with bad stuff (other than creating material for a dirty bomb through waste perhaps)
Energy independence would upend a lot of international trade markets and therefore geopolitical stability in some areas. If you don't need Saudi Arabia for oil, why do you care what happens there?
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