A research centre to support China's push for nuclear fusion power has been approved. It will be able to test large superconducting magnets and filters under operational conditions.;
I think the only major contribution to humanity the CCP I would respect would be fusion research.
It's not complicated, just stupid expensive and politically impossible, but if they can figure it out, they have truly provided a transformative humanity.
Fusion reactors are incredibly complicated.... This is a research reactor, with the goal of figuring out how to create sustainable fusion for real world uses by 2050.
This is not a performative action for a determinative outcome, this is aspirational and has no guarantee of achieving its goals, which is good. This type of research and science needs to be funded, even when it may fail.
Maybe this will spurn competition between powers to accelerate their own fusion reactor research, and create a virtuous cycle that accelerates this technology becoming a major source of green energy in the near, or medium-term, future.
I like democracy, but I don't like our short-sighted (4-8 year) election-campaign-based governing. But between our public and private sectors I know we can meet this challenge and make this happen.
Man, I wish we (Canada) were that ambitious. I know lemmy hates Elon Musk but I really admire his ambition in technical pursuits. I'm not saying we need more Elon Musks, but we should pursue more grand projects.
I find it odd they are going with a Tokamak design which has been tested for decades and has issues that require complicated engineering to solve Magnetic confinement of the plasma being the massive one I have to wonder why they are not going with a Stellarator design Maybe their engineering and science isn't up to it
I'm happy to see china continue to pump resources into their clean energy mix, but at the same time it feels like this entire concept might end up being more of a meme than we think.
First wall problems compounded by geometric constraints, fueling, magnetic & corresponding mechanical complexities, particularly over long periods of time where material fatigue sets in due to coils applying heavy, dynamic loading.. there's a lot against tokamaks.
They seem to impress people, and we could all use novel research into MHD. But @Blackdoomax@sh.itjust.works is kind of correct.