A 2006 Google Tech Talk by Robert Bussard on inertial electrostatic confinement (polywell) fusion as a cheap, clean alternative to conventional thermonuclear reactors. He argues it could be made viable with modest funding.
Why Hacker News points people here: Cited as Bussard's last substantial public presentation on polywell fusion and the source of his claim that about $200M would be enough.
“it's an intense, fast-paced, insightful, and (likely) final public look into his mind, his work, and his character.”HN comment, 2012
“it's an intense, fast-paced, insightful, and (likely) final public look into his mind, his work, and his character”
Bussard's fast-paced, insightful final public presentation on his fusion work
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Bussard was a genius who couldn't get funding. Less than a year before he died of cancer, he asked Google for a paltry sum to continue his research, shortly after the government cut him off. I have wondered why Google didn't jump on this. Do you know? And now, ironically, the Navy, the very entity which tossed him out, has not only picked up his research, but has apparently gone all quiet about the results. Here's the video of his excellent (and, in retrospect, sad) presentation at Google. I say "sad" because it shows an intellectual giant, nearly on his deathbed, practically begging an Internet giant, for what was really the tiny amount he needed to continue with what had become his life's work. Anyway, it's an intense, fast-paced, insightful, and (likely) final public look into his mind, his work, and his character. this video (Should Google Go Nuclear?) link (archive copy) UPDATE: I found a good paper covering the above talk. It's a 25-page PDF, of less than 2MB, with color photos and charts from the video. link
Cites itThaddeusQuayJul 2011
Bussard's Google talk on fusion funding
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If Google has actually spent that much on renewables, then why didn't they give Bussard the measly $5M (or maybe it was $20M) for which he practically begged them, back on 11/09/06? He needed $200M, over 5 years, to build his fusion reactor, but only a small fraction of that to confirm some important experimental results which he had achieved just before the Navy cut his funding. He believed that he could get that confirmation, and that it would be enough to show that proceeding with the $200M investment would be prudent. I was quite sad to see that he died about 11 months later, having not achieved his dream, and having been reduced to begging at the end of his life. Google not only should have given him the $5M/$20M, but they should have been thrilled and honored to have such an intellect even speaking to them. Fuck Google's shortsightedness. this videolinklink
Cites itcarapaceOct 2021
“Robert Bussard believed that he was on to something with his polywell fusion plant”
Bussard's claim about polywell fusion viability
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It's a bit cheeky but I like to point out that the Sun is nuclear power . It's a maintenance-free fusion reactor so powerful that it can blind you from 150 million km away. - - - - Anyway, Robert Bussard believed that he was on to something with his polywell fusion plant: this video He claimed that it would only take about $200M of engineering development to become viable. link
Cites itcarapaceJul 2022
“He claimed that it would only take about $200M of engineering development to become viable.”
Bussard on polywell needing modest development funding
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Have you heard of the Polywell design for fusion reactors? If so, what do you think? link Dr. Robert Bussard (RIP): this video He claimed that it would only take about $200M of engineering development to become viable.
