Written by Tristan Greene via CoinTelegraph.com
A recent physics breakthrough that could serve as a proof of concept for developing nuclear fusion reactors capable of producing nearly unlimited energy has finally successfully passed official peer review.
On December 5, 2022, a research team at the US National Ignition Facility (NIF) in California recorded data showing that a nuclear fusion reaction has been achieved that produces more energy than is needed to produce it. The reported results were the first of their kind.
In physics, this is sometimes colloquially referred to as a “free lunch.” This means that fusion reactors could one day be expanded to the point where they can produce nearly unlimited energy.
If the results reported by the NIF team are correct, their groundbreaking research could serve as a platform for future technologies that could help eliminate dependence on carbon energy, as well as artificial intelligence ( AI) and quantum computing, such as supercharging fields where energy scarcity is an obstacle.
However, as a science communicator Carl Sagan, put it, “Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” News of this breakthrough discovery was received with both optimism and discount in the physics community. The general consensus at the time was that people should wait for peer review before shouting “eureka!” In the findings.
Eureka time?
It is peer-reviewed and, according to a report in the APA Physics journal, multiple teams Confirmed And I reproduced the results.
Replicating the experiment was not easy. To achieve the original fusion reaction, NIF scientists used a technique called inertial confinement fusion. This form of fusion involves bombarding deuterium atoms with about 200 lasers to superheat them and ultimately fuse them at pressures higher than those found in the Sun.
Although this early research was only confirmed through peer review, the NIF device could serve as a platform on which practical fusion reactors could be built. At this point, it is too early to predict when a viable fusion reactor will become a reality.
next generation energy
However, the free availability of so-called next-generation energy sources could greatly accelerate the engineering and development of adjacent technologies such as AI and quantum computing.
In these sectors, energy bottlenecks are recognized as a major hurdle to the next expansion, and once those obstacles are removed, a generational leap forward could proceed.
As Cointelegraph recently reported, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says there is no way to build the AI systems of the future Until a breakthrough in fusion energy occurs. This research by the NIF team could be the first confirmed step toward that breakthrough technology.
OpenAI may be in the best position to understand the energy requirements needed to train systems like ChatGPT, but Altman personally invested Belongs to a private company working on nuclear fusion.
Posted by: Zerohedge.com
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