The DOD Looks At Energy Security

The gentlemen and gentlewomen at Talk Polywell have come across a couple of major finds. The first is a discussion of American energy security and its military implications. Energy & National Security: An Exploration of Threats, Solutions, and Alternative Futures...

WB-8 Contract Progress

The US Navy has just published a Justification and Award for EMC2's Polywell Fusion Reactor experiment. The highlights: * The award is for $10 million * WB-8.0 report to be delivered 30 March 2010 * WB-8.1 report to be delivered...

Polywell Gets The Dough

EMC2 has gotten almost eight million dollars to do further experimentation on the Polywell Fusion concept. Energy Matter Conversion Corp., (EMC2)*, Santa Fe, N.M., is being awarded a $7,855,504 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for research, analysis, development, and testing in support of...

Was Saddam Really Working On A Bomb?

I just ran across an article on the proliferation risks of fusion and a few paragraphs caught my eye. Some proponents of nuclear fusion power falsely claim that it would pose no risk of contributing to weapons proliferation. In fact,...

A Word For The Sceptics

I was looking at the comments to my American Thinker article Fusion Energy and came across an interesting sequence of comments I had missed earlier. The first comment is by a sceptic. There are earlier comments by him in the...

Socialism Is Going Broke

U.S. Rep. Spencer Bachus says Social Security may go broke in two years.TUSCALOOSA - Social Security could face a deficit within two years, according to U.S. Rep. Spencer Bachus who met with The Tuscaloosa News editorial board Tuesday. "The situation...

Obamageddon Is Fascism

Gerald Celente wrote a book. Trends 2000: How to Prepare for and Profit from the Changes of the 21st Century He has a web site Trends Research More Videos: The coming tax revolt: A series of clips in one...

Green Jobs Come Real Jobs Go

Power Magazine whose mission is to cover Business and Technology for the Global Generation Industry reports on what Green Energy is doing to Spain. It is pretty ugly. Gabriel Calzada Álvarez, PhD, an economics professor at King Juan Carlos University...

ITER Fusion - 100 Years Away

The BBC reports that tokamak fusion may be 100 years off. The Iter project was set up three years ago to build an experimental nuclear fusion reactor in the south of France. But construction costs alone have more than doubled...

The Boys At Talk-Polywell Have Struck Paydirt

The boys at Talk Polywell have uncovered the details of the WB-8 contract [pdf]. Those details can give us some insight into how WB-7 has gone. From the looks of things - rather well. The current effort will build on...

The Future Of Energy

I don't agree with all the prescriptions presented. However, his outline of the problem is good for some critical thinking. The secret word is Terawatt. But a terawatt is only a rate of delivery. To be really useful it...

ITER Delayed, Scaled Back

Nature News is reporting that the ITER fusion experiment is in big trouble. Very big trouble. It is way over budget, way behind time, and the experimental efforts are being scaled back. ITER -- a multi-billion-euro international experiment boldly aiming...

The Next Oil Shock

You ought to watch an interesting video of oil/economic experts James Hamilton and Daniel Yergin giving testimony before Congress. Their testimony begins about 11 minutes into the video. Note at the beginning though where Congress Critter Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY)...

WB-8 In The Works

EMC2 has just been awarded (a solicitation actually but sure to go through) a contract for a WB-8 and WB-8.1 device under the America recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. I reported on the prospects for this in mid April...

An Interview With Tom Ligon

Tom Ligon is an engineer who worked with Dr. Robert Bussard on Polywell Fusion. Tom explains the technology and his work with Dr. Bussard. There are seven videos in the series. You can watch the rest of them here:...

We Will Know In Two Years

Rick Nebel, the head of EMC2 Fusion (Polywell), has a few words to say in the comments at Next Big Future about the progress he is making in understanding The Polywell Fusion Reactor and its chances for power production. rnebel...

LANL Helps Polywell

Los Alamos National Laboratory gave the Polywell Fusion Experimenters some critical help when they needed it. It all started out with this program. Northern New Mexico businesses are getting financial help from Los Alamos National Laboratory, and there are plenty...

Jevons - Khazzoom

We are in the midst of seriously improving energy efficiency in the hopes that it will reduce energy consumption. However, there is an economic theory (about coal consumption no less) known since 1865 that says that increasing efficiency will increase...

Polywell Gets In On The Act

Polywell Fusion looks to be getting a $2 million boost from the DoD Recovery Act Plan. Here is what the DoD has to say about their plan. Today, March 20, 2009, the Department of Defense (DoD) released its EXPENDITURE PLAN...

In The Dark

Rick Nebel, the lead guy in Polywell Fusion Research has a few things to say about his current state of knowledge with reference to the Polywell Fusion Reactor. He also discusses some rather technical questions about his research and findings....

Fusion Is Hot

Says Alan Boyle in his most recent Cosmic Log. So what's behind the seemingly sudden interest? Part of the buzz is dictated by the calendar. After 12 years of construction, the world's most powerful laser is finally finished at the...

Industrial Production

America has an industrial strength system for producing criminals. Senator Jim Webb is not happy about it. America's criminal justice system has deteriorated to the point that it is a national disgrace. Its irregularities and inequities cut against the notion...

Keep An Eye On Polywell

Agora Financials has something interesting to say about Polywell Fusion. "Polywell fusion technology could be the biggest monkey wrench in the history of markets," writes our technology adviser Patrick Cox. If you're unfamiliar (we certainly were), fusion is often tagged...

A New Hope: Cold Fusion

Cold fusion is back in the news. If cold fusion can be made to work, it could power the world cheaply on a virtually limitless supply of seawater. But scientists don't even know if it's possible. Now a new study...

Welfare For The Rich

Are you in the market for a new car this year? I thought not. But if you are Mr. Obama has a deal for you. Los Angeles (myFOXla.com) - President Barack Obama announced today in Pomona that his administration will...

Experiments In Government

There are plans afoot for a floating city off the coast of San Francisco. A floating city off the coast of San Francisco may sound like science fiction, but it could be reality in the not-too-distant future. The Seasteading...

Surplus

The below video is a test firing of a surplus laser. Here is a picture of the laser: And the video of the laser firing: Fire the Laser! from famulus fusion on Vimeo. It is amazing what people are doing...

I'm Here To Spread Panic

And why not? Europe is headed for the rocks. And it appears that there is nothing that can save it. The rocks are Eastern European debt. If mishandled by the world policy establishment, this debacle is big enough to shatter...

What Engineers Do

Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 I especially liked Part 5 where one engineer describes what it is like to commit other people's lives to one of your designs. I had that feeling a lot working in...

China And Russia Hooking Up

Yes. It is true. They are hooking up their electrical grids. AREVA's Transmission and Distribution (T&D) division has signed a multi-million Euro contract to supply H400 High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) thyristor valves to interconnect the Chinese and Russian power grids....

Better Than Theory Predicts

Dave Price at Dean Esmay has done a post that I should have done. He is discussing Physicist Rick Nebel's report on the latest Polywell Fusion experiments. Dean goes into the technical nitty gritty of the report (and has a...

Giving The Economy A Boost

It looks like the Obama administration has accidentally given the economy a boost. Due to the overwhelming increase in orders, it has become increasingly difficult to predict deliveries for all Rock River Arms' products. Because of this, we are no...

Unacceptable Risk

President Present is running into resistance from the Pentagon over has troop withdrawal plans. The Times reported that Odierno had "developed a plan that would move slower than Mr. Obama's campaign timetable" and had suggested in an interview "it might...

What Next For Polywell Fusion?

Dr. Bussard thought that a full scale net energy Polywell Fusion program could be done for $200 million. What could be done to advance the knowledge base that wouldn't require that kind of commitment? I have been giving some thought...

A Big Motor For The Electric Navy

Last week I did a post on the the science of electric motors that featured a learning kit for kids that provided the parts required for a kid (of any age) interested in the science and technology of electric...

WB-6 Results Confirmed - Continuous Operation The Next Step

Alan Boyle at Cosmic Log announces the results of the WB-7 Bussard Fusion Reactor (BFR) experiments. And the results? No show stoppers so far. An EMC2 team headed by Los Alamos researcher Richard Nebel (who's on leave from his federal...

Incoming Energy Secretary On Bussard Fusion

In this Google Tech Talk from about 28 February 2007 you can see Incoming Energy Secretary Steven Chu discussing what he knows about Bussard Fusion about 1 hour 1 minute and 10 seconds into the video. The rest of...

Energy Czar

A new energy czar has been picked by the incoming administration. Steven Chu, 60 years old, director of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and a Nobel Prize-winning physicist, will be nominated as secretary of energy, Democratic officials said Wednesday. The...

New IEC Fusion Experiment Contract

FedBizOpps.gov has a solicitation for a bid for more experiments by EMC2, Doc Bussard's company now being run (at least on the experimental side) by Rick Nebel. The Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division, China Lake, CA intends to procure...

Fusion Report 20 October 2008

Alan Boyle brings us up to date on the latest news from the world of fusion. Of course I'm especially interested in what he has to say about Bussard Fusion and their progress to net power. I'll give you the...

A New Sigma

My friend Tom Ligon has just been inducted into the Sigma Society. Here is what Sigma does: Many SIGMA members are Ph.D.-level scientists and engineers; all are science fiction writers who have spent careers applying their technical and literary talents...

Fusion Report 29 August 2008

Alan Boyle has the latest on the EMC2 fusion experiments. Researchers have finished the first phase of an unorthodox, low-cost nuclear fusion experiment that has generated a megawatt's worth of buzz on the Internet - and they are now waiting...

Fusion Report 13 June 008

Alan Boyle has a new report on the goings on in New Mexico at EMC2 Fusion Labs. Emc2 Fusion's Richard Nebel can't say yet whether his team's garage-shop plasma experiment will lead to cheap, abundant fusion power. But he...

Inspiring Town Hall meeting at the birthplace of the Constitution

Philadelphia is one of the most heavily Democrat cities there is. So, when I read that John McCain's Straight Talk America was coming to Philadelphia for a Town Hall, I just had to go. That required standing in a long...

ITER Is The Fusion Reactor Of The Future

In fact from the look of things it may always be the Fusion Reactor of The Future.A massive international nuclear fusion experiment planned for Cadarache, France, is set to cost up to 30% more than anticipated and be delayed by...

Where Will Learning Take Place?

It seems as if the schools in America are not producing the quality of output many Americans desire. There is a lot of "woe is me" out there. However, it does not reflect in any way what is really going...

A Fusion President?

What Presidential candidate is most up on fusion and specifically the Bussard Fusion Reactor Program. Interesting question. Which candidate was interested enough to have his staffers look deeper into it in August of 2007? The answer? John McCain. A week...

Fusion Report 15 May 008

In Picture Of WB-7 Bussard Fusion Test Reactor Available I reported that there was a picture of the WB-7 Fusion Test Reactor available. (Well duh). I must sadly report that it is no longer available. Instead EMC2 Fusion has replaced...

Standardizing Fusion Test Reactors

In my recent post Starting A Fusion Program In Your Home Town I talked about expanding the fusion design and testing environment to increase the rate of progress in the development of a power producing reactor. The lead Bussard Fusion...

Fusion Report 02 May 008

Here is a progress report from MSNBC's Cosmic Log about the status of the Bussard Fusion Experiment, WB-7. Currently, the most promising path toward electrostatic fusion runs through Santa Fe, N.M., where a team at EMC2 Fusion Development Corp. is...

For All Mankind

A lot of people have been asking me publicly and privately, if the Bussard Fusion Technology is successful, can it be bottled up by special interests? I think the we have an answer from Dr. Richard Nebel who is now...

Helping The Poor

If I was a lefty politician and really wanted to help the poor you know what I would tell my megadonors? Forget redistribution. You are the experts - start another business. I will get government out of your way. If...

Fusion Report - April '08

In the comments at MSNBC Fusion Report Dr. Richard Nebel, who is working on a test version of the Bussard Fusion Reactor, has this to say. Since there seems to be some confusion here, I guess I should clarify some...

Ready For This?

And what do you know the whole economic collapse schtick may have been totally exagerated. NEW YORK (AP) -- Wall Street began the second quarter with a big rally Tuesday as investors rushed back into stocks, optimistic that the...

Fusion Song

The Bussard Fusion Ram Jet has its own song. It might go well as an introduction to the Bussard Fusion Reactor. Cross Posted at Power and Control...

Rockets

I haven't been following the news much lately. I've been more interested in working on The Bussard Fusion Reactor (BFR). So I missed the beginnings of happenings in Gaza. So for those of you as out of the loop as...

ITER Is Big

I wanted to post this video done in 2000 to help people to get a feel for just how big the ITER Fusion Test Reactor is. The Bussard Reactor is about 1/100th that size. Here is another ITER video....

It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This

Dr. Nebel, who is working on the Bussard Fusion Project has taken some time out of his busy schedule to thank the bloggers supporting the WB-7 Project. Also, I would like to thank M Simon, TallDave and their fellow bloggers...

Getting Tuned Up

Eric says he never reads Science Fiction. Tom Ligon, one of the Premier Science Fiction Authors of our time is a friend of mine. He gave me permission to publish a piece he did a while back. I published it...

Contact Your Congress Critter

It is election season again. The time when the Congress Critters are most responsive to citizens. As most of you know by now Dr. Bussard's latest Fusion Power experiment, WB-7 First Plasma, is so far showing encouraging results. It is...

Comprehensive Anticipatory Design Science

An interview with R. Buckminster Fuller - Bucky to his friends I had the honor of meeting Bucky at a number of his lectures and the supreme honor of living in his dome home in Carbondale for two weeks around...

WB-7 First Plasma

MSNBC Reports first plasma on the WB-7 Reactor. Bussard's mantle has been picked up by a small team led by Richard Nebel, who has taken a leave from Los Alamos National Laboratory to head up Bussard's EMC2 Fusion Development Corp....

FEC Shutdown?

The Federal Election Commission (FEC) has been shut down. And how did I find this out? I was over at DKOS looking for a Bussard Fusion Post by Roger Fox and came across this one on the FEC. It links...

Bussard Fusion Update

The New Mexican has some interesting news about the progress on Bussard Fusion Reactor. Last August, as Bussard was losing his battle with cancer, the funds were restored with the support of Alan Roberts, EMC2's longtime Navy contract monitor. The...

Running On Empty

Fourmilog: None Dare Call It Reason has a review up of the book Energy Victory. It is all about how making our vehicles easier to use with various liquid fuels would get us off our dependence on imported oil....

Top Energy Stories of 2007

R-Squared Energy Blog has a list of his top ten energy stories of 2007. Interestingly none of his top ten includes wind. Here is his list: 1. Oil price soars as media becomes Peak Oil aware 2. Criticism of biofuels...

The Euros Are Getting Organized

The Europeans have some of the highest gasoline taxes in the developed world. Certainly higher than in America. And yet.... In common with the rest of the world, Europe is now having to face up to the fact that a...

Burning Pu And Other Stuff

It is mentioned quite frequently that burning up excess Plutonium is the best way to restrict its availability. A few days ago I was discussing the use of a Bussard reactor as a proliferation device. I looked at why it...

We Had Better Get A Move On

There is a very interesting discussion of the nuclear proliferation aspects of the Bussard Fusion Reactor going on at Talk.Polywell. Here is what I think needs to be done: We need to build Bussard Reactor neutron generators as soon as...

It's Official

Defence News has a story up on the death of Dr. Robert Bussard in which they state that the US Navy has put up nearly $2 million to continue the research on the Bussard Reactor.Robert Bussard, inventor of a promising...

Dr. Bussard's Final Interview

Tim Ventura has a 53 minute audio interview of Fusion Pioneer Dr. Robert Bussard at his site American Anti-Gravity. Let me give you a bit of what Tim has to say.In our exclusive interview, Bussard describes the disenchantment with big-science...

Dr. Robert W. Bussard Has Passed

Tom Ligon who worked for Dr. Bussard has informed me that Dr. Bussard has died. A sad day for all of us in the IEC Fusion community. A great one has passed. We are all diminished by his loss. Fortunately...

Peak Oil?

Oooops. That one is for the peak oil folks. It looks like all that has peaked is the easy to get oil. Evidently there is an abundance with current technology and prices. We're flying over the Gulf of Mexico, above...

Bussard Reactor Funded?

I just received an e-mail claiming that the Navy has funded Dr. Bussard to complete his WB-7 fusion reactor experiment. In addition the e-mail claims the Navy is on board for the full up power demo if the WB-7 results...

"We cannot have intact testicles on government property!"

So says "Dan Nender, a 1634 supporter who filed suit in Sacramento Federal Court" to have a "marble monument to service dogs, originally set to be displayed in Sacramento, California" altered. According to the full story at the "Official News...

Getting Tuned Up

I was reading this article about the revival of the Wankel engine for use in aircraft. However, this is not just any Wankel. It can burn kerosene. There's nothing wrong in sticking with what works but those motors require 70...

Fusion - False Alarm

It turns out California To Fund Bussard Fusion is a false alarm: Here is Joe Strout's comment at Wed Jul 25, 2007 5:09 pm at Talk Polywell. UPDATE: I got a call back from Bill Maile in the Governor's office....

California To Fund Bussard Fusion

Wonderful News!!!! Governor Schwarzenegger of California is planning to fund Dr Bussards IEC Fusion project. In a move sure to impress environmentalists and further cement his Earth friendly image, Governor Schwarzenegger is set to launch a multimillion dollar research effort...

Physicists Should Stick To Physics

I see Eric has done a post this morning on scientist making policy prescriptions outside their field of expertise. I have a good example from some physicists. I think it is syncronicity. == I was visiting a physics blog (well...

Fusion: The Russians Are Coming

Zee News reports on a Russian scientist who wants Russia to export fusion power plants. Tokyo, July 13: Russia is eyeing on designing thermonuclear plants for domestic and international market in the next 20 to 25 years, nuclear physicist Yevgeny...

Geometry

I have had to get in rather deeper into geometry than is my usual for the past 30 or so years (since my dome building daze - I built 3 or 4 and even lived in Bucky's Dome in Carbondale...

Love Songs For Physicists

Here are some very quarky girls you might like to know. When ever I see them my hadrons start to vibrate and my liquid nitrogen begins to boil over. They are The Cernettes. For those of you not familiar with...

Enslave The Machines And Free The Humans

I'm working with a bunch of folks at NASA Space Flight blog trying to turn the concept invented by Dr. Robert Bussard, the Bussard Fusion Reactor, into a practical research reactor to test the concepts involved. What is striking about...

Boron Fusion Rocketry: 1977

From The Jupiter Theft, by Donald Moffitt The ritual spying had become a way of life during the year-long preparations for the joint Chinese-American Jupiter mission...The big prize in the game was the new boron fusion/fission engine that was going...

Fusion News: Chris Wants Some Help

Chris wants some help: American Express is having a contest to fund one idea to "make the world a better place". They have received several thousand ideas, and will pick the top 50 (in their opinion), and then let people...

Praying For Fusion

I visited the site of the world's first atomic pile CP-1 (which stands for Chicago Pile One) while I was in Chicago for my son Jonathan's graduation from the University of Chicago. There is a Henry Moore sculpture at the...

Change The World In Three Minutes

Dr. Robert Bussard talks about how to change the world and it only takes three minutes. For a deeper look at this technology: Bussard Fusion Reactor The video at this one is deep on physics and lasts an hour...

Climate Change Porn

There seems to be a lot of global warming porn going around. We have examples of porn addicts publicly confessing and swearing off their addiction. And others can't get enough. A confirmed "CO2 is rising and we are all doomed"...

Freeman Dyson: Getting Warmed Up

Here are a couple of Youtube videos with Freeman Dyson talking about Global Warming mania. He starts out in the first video (on the left) talking about vegetation. He says you can't do good science without good data. He...

Electron Circulation in Cubic Polywell

Here is the full page version which has much better resolution. What is this all about you ask, other than some pretty pictures and nice music? Here are some answers: Bussard Fusion Reactor Easy Low Cost No Radiation Fusion...

IEC Fusion for Dummies

A short video that schematically shows how a Bussard Fusion Reactor works. The video was done by Foger Rox. A short technical explanation can be found at Bussard Fusion Reactor. A more detailed look with social implications can be...

Latest Fusion News

Tom Ligon, an engineer who worked with Dr. Robert Bussard, is giving a talk on fusion powered rockets at the International Space Development Conference in Dallas. Here is a link to Tom's Power Point Presentation at ISDC. Scroll down the...

Bussard Interstellar Ramjet: 1970

My introduction to the Bussard ramjet was Poul Anderson's novel Tau Zero. Being an ignorant and unreflective sprat, it never occurred to me that the device wasn't entirely fictional. I figured it was just another doubletalk drive, like "Ortega's Torch",...

Sign The Fusion Petition

There is a petition started on 20 Nov 2006 calling for Congress to support the Bussard Fusion Reactor. The short version: Dr. Bussard has a Navy contract that is unfunded. Also please write your Government to urge them to fund...

Fusion Image

This is a simulation of the magnetic field in the WB-6 Bussard Fusion Reactor. A picture of the WB-6 can be found here. It was done by Indrek. He posted it to the IEC Fusion Newsgroup. His simulation is...

False Report

Tom Ligon reports that the report I posted about the Bussard Fusion work being funded was incorrect. The contract has merely been continued for a year without funding. Time to contact your Government to see if we can't get...

Good News - Fusion Project Funded

Mark of Ask Mark reports that because of Dr Bussard's winning the Outstanding Technology of the Year Award for 2006 and his widely reported Google talk the US Navy has decided to fund the final year of the his contract....

A New Kind of Science

A bunch of us have been working on understanding the physics of the Bussard Fusion Reactor. The subject of getting a copy of Mathematica has come up several times. What is detering us is the cost. Since I have...

Fusion Newsgroup

I have just started an IEC Fusion newsgroup. IEC stands for Inertial Electrostatic Confinement. Devices like the Farnsworth Fusor or Dr Bussard's Polywell machine. It will cover technology. Research advances (or set backs). Financing more research. etc. For starters...

ITER - The Other Side

I have been going hot and heavy on the Bussard Fusion Reactor. I think it is time to present the other side. DNA India reports: ITER is 'the way' to the future of energy. Well I don't believe it. I...

What If The Chinese Beat Us To It?

I have been obsessed the last couple of days with the Bussard Fusion Reactor. While reading around I have gotten the most depressing news. What if the Chinese get there first? Or the Russians. There is a lot of technical...

Build Your Own Fusion Reactor

As many of my readers know, I have become obsessed with the Bussard Fusion Reactor. There is a bit of amateur scientist in me so I've been on the look out for general directions for making a fusion reactor in...

High School Student Builds Working Fusion Reactor

I just came across this over at the Netscape blog. This is amazing news, a high school student name Thiago Olson managed to build a fully-functioned nuclear fusion reactor in just 2 years. There are a number of non...

Let's Make It Happen

There is a site up to collect donations to make the Bussard Fusion Reactor a reality. If you are interested have a look at EMC2 Fusion. I have no idea how reputable the organization is so you might want to...

Mr. Fusion

Instapundit says that we will need coal, oil, and natural gas for some time even if some one invents Mr. Fusion tomorrow. Which is true. However, Mr. Fusion was invented yesterday (several years ago actually). It was invented by Dr...

Real Men Do Real Physics

There is a discussion going on at Matt Yglesias' place about the future of the Republicans if they stay the course of the war. Matt thought the odds for the Rs was not good. I made the point that we...

Holiday Blogging

I will be filling in for Eric (as if that were possible) at Classical Values while he is away for the holidays. This is sort of a test post to get the bugs out before Eric leaves. My posts here...

Long Shots

The guys at Focus Fusion have provided their take on that Robert Bussard video that's been making the rounds. Their impression is that his approach looks promising. Their own approach is somewhat different technically, but either one, if successful, would...