re: #816 lostlakehiker

Well, research into the theoretical side of fusion is all well and good, but there is not much reason to hope that we will get anywhere with fusion as a source of energy. Any sort of fusion reactor must cope with the tendency of the fusion processes we know about to throw off neutrons, and these mess with the device. They make steel brittle, they change elements in ways that corrupt the workings of intricate devices, etc. The more effective we get at causing fusion, even assuming we can achieve that much, the worse this problem gets.

The sun is a handy fusion reactor, at a convenient distance where we can pick up enough energy to sustain industrial civilization without getting fried. No neutron flux to worry about.

I hope you’re wrong. We need fusion power if we’re ever to achieve long distance space travel.