Testing Nuclear Weapons in the Lab Instead of the Ground

Eric GomezEarlier this week, the Department of Energy announced the major scientific accomplishment ofachieving a fusion ignition in a lab setting.The experiment fired nearly two hundred high-power lasers at a small fuel pellet to briefly create the intense heat and pressure necessary for a fusion reaction to take place and, for the first time, the reaction produced more energy than it consumed.A successful fusion ignition experiment is an important scientific achievement, but there are reasonable questions about the practical, near-term utility of the experiment.The words “nuclear fusion”likely conjure images of space ships exploring distant galaxies or cities powered by nearly limitless clean energy. The latter point is especially salient as the United States and world contend with climate change. Commercially viable nuclear fusion could be a game changer for moving humanity away from fossil fuels.Fusion as a source of energy was on the minds of many audience members during theDepartment of Energy ’s press conference announcing the result of the ignition experiment. In fact, all the audience questions were related to the experiment ’s energy implications and the scalability of the technology for commercial purposes. Unfortunately, fusion power plants remain in the realm of science fiction despite the recent experiment.The outlook is better, however, for nuclear weapons.The United States used to conductexplosive nuclear testing—detonating nuclear weapons undergroun...
Source: Cato-at-liberty - Category: American Health Authors: Source Type: blogs