Very late. Scientists believe that a breakthrough in thermonuclear energy will not save humanity

Two weeks ago, American scientists announced a real scientific discovery. The fact is that during the experiment, as a result of thermonuclear fusion, they were able to get more energy than they spent on maintaining the thermonuclear reaction itself. But some scientists find such a discovery belated and also potentially dangerous, writes Futurism.

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The “Holy Grail” of Energy

Focus He has already written in detail about the scientific achievement achieved by scientists from the Livermore National Laboratory. Lawrence, USA The quest to get more out of a thermonuclear reaction than it takes to sustain it has long been a primary goal of researchers. And now they got what they wanted.

Although the amount of energy released does not far exceed the amount of energy spent on thermonuclear fusion, many physicists have called this scientific breakthrough the “Holy Grail” of thermonuclear energy and an important step towards practical electricity generation in thermonuclear power plants.

Thermonuclear reaction or thermonuclear fusion (synthesis because the fusion of atoms that lead to energy release during the reaction, not the splitting of atoms as in nuclear reactors) occurs, is considered the energy of the future because it will provide almost unlimited energy. and clean energy. By the way, such a reaction occurs inside all stars, due to which they can exist.

The appearance of a thermonuclear power plant will have to wait a very long time

But not all physicists support the claim that this scientific breakthrough is something special that could change our world. Or rather, it can, but perhaps not for the better. Experts believe that this achievement of American physicists is too insignificant, and besides, it was made too late. And that discovery could lead to even more deadly nuclear weapons.

According to Mark Dizendorf of the University of New South Wales, Australia, scientists will not be able for long to obtain the necessary amount of energy released during a thermonuclear reaction to power the world.

The scientist believes that at least 25 years will pass before the creation of a working thermonuclear reactor that will produce hundreds of times more energy than it consumes. BUT Diesendorf believes that by then the world will have enough safe and clean renewable energy, especially solar and wind power.

British energy expert Chris Cragg believes the first fusion reactors will appear later.

“It is unlikely that a true fusion power plant will start working before my grandchildren are 70 years old. Note that such a scientific breakthrough was achieved only 60 years after the first such experiments began. Also, billions of dollars have been spent,” says Cragg.

It is worth noting that the US Department of Energy is more optimistic and believes that the first thermonuclear power plant will be built at the beginning of the next decade.

dangerous thermonuclear reaction

According to Diesendorf, the claim that fusion is a safe and clean process is false. As a matter of fact, in a similar reactor where American scientists are doing their experiments, neutrons can be produced that can be used to create nuclear explosive elements such as plutonium-239, uranium-235 and uranium-233. That is, a thermonuclear reactor can be used to produce raw materials for nuclear bombs.

“These reactors will also be able to produce tritium, a type of heavy hydrogen used to increase the efficiency of a nuclear explosion, making nuclear bombs smaller and easier to use in a missile warhead,” Diesendorf says.

Such a statement is not unfounded, because Livermore National Laboratory. Founded in 1952 in response to the USSR’s atomic bomb test, Lawrence has long been involved in nuclear weapons research.

So far, scientists have not been able to reach a consensus on whether the scientific breakthrough of American physicists is the way to get clean energy in the near future. Some experts say that fusion power is unlikely to save humanity from the rapidly approaching climate crisis.

Focus Scientists from Livermore National Laboratory wrote this already in the summer of this year. Lawrence was the first to create a thermonuclear reaction similar to that occurring on the Sun. However, this experiment did not go according to plan.