Reply to: Bezzo

[vetran]

They're going to paint all the buildings and roads white to increase albedo

it works why not?

[d000hg]

Once global warming and fusion are cracked, the next big problem will be waste heat from human activities!

Unless the global human population reduces significantly, all that cheap energy available for everyone will literally heat up the atmosphere on its own, without even CO2 having to help.

Even today, large cities like London and mega-cities in the developing world have their own micro climate and are often several degrees warmer than surrounding areas.

Banning air-con worldwide would be a good start!

They're going to paint all the buildings and roads white to increase albedo

[OwlHoot]

Once global warming and fusion are cracked, the next big problem will be waste heat from human activities!

Unless the global human population reduces significantly, all that cheap energy available for everyone will literally heat up the atmosphere on its own, without even CO2 having to help.

Even today, large cities like London and mega-cities in the developing world have their own micro climate and are often several degrees warmer than surrounding areas.

Banning air-con worldwide would be a good start!

[DoctorStrangelove]

Er, doesn't it run on deuterium?

With some tritium thrown in for good measure.

Oh if only it ran on Cobalt Thorium G I'd be in the money.

[d000hg]

There is a difference between "free energy" and what the utility companies are going to charge customers. Anyone expecting the price of electricity to go anywhere but up, and by a lot over the coming years, is a fantasist.

It will be "free" as in speech, not as in beer.

Well at the very least, there is colossal expenditure in terms of R&D and infrastructure that needs to be recouped although these things often are thought about in several decades. If cost of production comes down we can expect cost of sale to eventually fall but we could be talking half a century even IF they get it to work.
Of course there will be a high demand for hydrogen but presumably this is acquired using hydrolysis. If/when someone does crack fusion, I wonder just how rapidly it will be adopted - a crazy global rush or something more gradual?

[vetran]

There is a difference between "free energy" and what the utility companies are going to charge customers. Anyone expecting the price of electricity to go anywhere but up, and by a lot over the coming years, is a fantasist.

It will be "free" as in speech, not as in beer.

If Bezos , Gates & Buffet invest expect there to be humanitarian tariffs to fix problems.

[Paralytic]

It will be "free" as in speech, not as in beer.

Where does lunch fit into this axis?

[_V_]

Indeed many of the big issues (sustaining plasma and venting heat) are nearly solved.

https://www.sciencealert.com/huge-fu...s-clean-energy

once we have nearly free energy then cleaning up the world will be a lot easier.

There is a difference between "free energy" and what the utility companies are going to charge customers. Anyone expecting the price of electricity to go anywhere but up, and by a lot over the coming years, is a fantasist.

It will be "free" as in speech, not as in beer.

[d000hg]

If fusion is proven to work he could give amazon away as a party favour. Fusion is the gold at the end of the rainbow.

I think that was MY point

[DoctorStrangelove]

Fusion Power is always 10 years away.

Now what about dilithium crystals?

[vetran]

Fusion is unlikely to make him money until he is pretty old even if it goes well. Might be more about legacy, after all he is the richest person in history but Elon gets all the attention. Fusion would put self-driving cars in their place... really no idea if these guys have a rivalry but it would be fun if they did.

If fusion is proven to work he could give amazon away as a party favour. Fusion is the gold at the end of the rainbow.

[d000hg]

no he probably invests in things he believes will make money.

Fusion is unlikely to make him money until he is pretty old even if it goes well. Might be more about legacy, after all he is the richest person in history but Elon gets all the attention. Fusion would put self-driving cars in their place... really no idea if these guys have a rivalry but it would be fun if they did.

[vetran]

I'd love it to be true but actually, he's the richest man in the world, he probably invests in just about everything

two weeks ago he was in second place, but he has been one of the world's richest men for over a decade.

no he probably invests in things he believes will make money.

[d000hg]

Indeed but when of the worlds richest self made men start investing in it one pays attention.

I'd love it to be true but actually, he's the richest man in the world, he probably invests in just about everything

[vetran]

People have been claiming fusion power is just around the corner for rather a long time. It's a field I'm interested in so you'll have to forgive my skepticism. It's only 30 years away

Indeed but when of the worlds richest self made men start investing in it one pays attention.