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[bloop_bleep]

I mean, they're wrong if it helps you feel better. The potential energy change of a fusion reaction is independent of the gravitational field. The gravitstional field helps compress the agents so they reach the activation energy more often. It's definitely theoretically possible.

[Lord Shonus]

There are few people more confident than those who know a little about physics and think they know a lot.

For the record, energy positive fusion is possible under the laws of physics regardless of local gravity. Our inability to yet produce such reactions is more a limitation of our knowledge of exactly how it works than it does any fundamental challenge.

[hector13]

Here’s me happy I figured out how to play the melody of “If You’re Happy and You Know It”.

[ChairmanPoo]

I mean, they're wrong if it helps you feel better. The potential energy change of a fusion reaction is independent of the gravitational field. The gravitstional field helps compress the agents so they reach the activation energy more often. It's definitely theoretically possible.

Its more than theoretically possible; it's a well established technology

[Great Order]

I mean, they're wrong if it helps you feel better. The potential energy change of a fusion reaction is independent of the gravitational field. The gravitstional field helps compress the agents so they reach the activation energy more often. It's definitely theoretically possible.

They started throwing around as many complex-sounding science words as they could in the reply alongside the weird nit-pickiness. As someone who's done that before, I could tell that was them flailing a bit.

Although their logic seemed to be that to emulate the effects of gravity (I assume whether by shooting lasers or slamming the particles together at high speed or whatever) would require more energy input than you could ever get out of fusion. Again, not theoretically, they said with 100% certainty that it would never, ever *ever* occur.

Like, I'm not exactly a physics genius. Barely passed the AS level, but there's people way smarter than me saying it's possible which generally inclines me towards thinking it is.

[ChairmanPoo]

But its the wrong debate. Net positive fusion is totally achievable on Earth, and has been done for decades (ie: fusion weapons). The problem is how to turn that from a weapon into an energy source, which is an engineering problem. Now, any given particular solution may or may not work, but I don't think the thermodynamics angle makes sense

[Great Order]

I dunno. They may have been meaning a specific form of fusion reaction/reactor? Or they think they know more than they do? Or I tried to correct them and they had a bit of a pride-induced freak.

*shrug*

No skin off my back, and it made me delete my account immediately after making it so it's saved me interacting with Reddit until I give in to the temptation again. In all a confused net positive.

EDIT: Oh yeah, I did have a moment of maybe-stupidity in my explanation as a result of overreaching beyond my knowledge and running off what I'd quickly looked up, which might have egged them on a bit that my whole premise was bunk

[KittyTac]

People think gravity is such a strong force. In actuality it is many, many, many orders of magnitude weaker than the electromagnetic force. Gravity is only strong because planets and stars are huge. It is totally possible to emulate the conditions in the Sun's core via magnets and/or lasers.

[JoshuaFH]

"Lol" said the Black Hole, "Lmao"

[Egan_BW]

I say we use the fusion bombs to push big rocks up the mountain, then tie the rocks to a pully and drop 'em down a mineshaft. There's your fusion energy right there.

[Criptfeind]

I say that we tie the fusion bombs to a rock and then have an eagle come every day to tear out and eat it's liver, which it will heal every night. That's your fusion energy right there.

[Grim Portent]

What about harnessing the power of sisyphean torments from the Underworld to generate clean energy? Get Sisyphus to run on a treadmill for all of time.

We would need more people to anger the Olympians though, Sisyphus alone can't power much.

[Loud Whispers]

-Humans like boiling water
-By boiling water they discovered how to use steam engines to power great machines
-They used these great machines to harvest coal to burn and boil more water
-They discovered they could use this coal to boil water to make electricity people could use to boil water at home without needing to burn coal
-Whilst burning coal to avoid burning coal to boil water they discovered that burning coal was generally shite and also running out of coal so time to burn oil and gas to boil water to make electricity to power the water boilers
-Begin to reach new technological heights. Learn how to harness the power of the atom by using nuclear fission to boil water to make steam to spin turbines to generate electricity to boil water

fast forwards 1,000 years
-Humanity is boiling water using the accretion disc of a singularity generator in order to boil water

[Egan_BW]

Maybe the height of sophistication is just leaving your water for tea out under the big bang to boil it.

[TD1]

-Humans like boiling water
-By boiling water they discovered how to use steam engines to power great machines
-They used these great machines to harvest coal to burn and boil more water
-They discovered they could use this coal to boil water to make electricity people could use to boil water at home without needing to burn coal
-Whilst burning coal to avoid burning coal to boil water they discovered that burning coal was generally shite and also running out of coal so time to burn oil and gas to boil water to make electricity to power the water boilers
-Begin to reach new technological heights. Learn how to harness the power of the atom by using nuclear fission to boil water to make steam to spin turbines to generate electricity to boil water

fast forwards 1,000 years
-Humanity is boiling water using the accretion disc of a singularity generator in order to boil water

Lol.