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As posted by Tom Hanson
The premise is that Nuclear is not only Safe (when handled properly) but it is Essential (a) and (b) a person can live comfortably away from Earth with it as the energy supply for a habitat. However, the set of topics I am proposing are ** NOT ** limited to heat, light and electricity, which you can already supply. I'm inviting you (and your guest authors) to build up a topic that shows that food, water suitable for drinking, and all other supplies can be made on site using nuclear power. This is not done on Earth at the moment, so it will be a stretch to work out how to do it in Space.
However, my argument is now (and has been for a number of years) that all human needs can be supplied for a space traveler if sufficient energy is brought to bear on the problem.
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The idea behind this topic is simple, but has enormous implications. Human beings have basic needs: food, fresh water, oxygen at the right pressure; and a suitable temperature range. If the energy inputs for these functions can be provided adequately by a nuclear fission or fusion power source, then human civilisation can be freed not just from the confines of the Earth, but the sun as well. Human colonies can be built throughout the solar system on icy moons or even within icy Kuiper belt or Oort cloud objects. Ultimately, human life can spread to the stars by slow migration, eventually colonising rogue planets as well as throughout the Milky Way, as well as Oort clouds of the 100 billion or so stars within our galaxy.
Last edited by Calliban (2021-05-14 15:08:07)
"Plan and prepare for every possibility, and you will never act. It is nobler to have courage as we stumble into half the things we fear than to analyse every possible obstacle and begin nothing. Great things are achieved by embracing great dangers."
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For Calliban ... the premise of your primary topic (as I understand it) is the benefits of a hybrid approach, using fusion to create fission fuel, which itself generates the energy needed to drive the fusion process ...
The article at the link below is about work in the UK sponsored/supported by Jeff Bezos (among the funders).
What ** I ** am struggling with is the explanation of what this company is attempting ...; by any chance, do you have an idea ???
https://www.yahoo.com/news/nuclear-ener … 33804.html
The company uses an approach called magnetised target fusion.
In this process, a super-heated gas called a plasma, consisting of a particular form of hydrogen, is injected into a cylinder which is surrounded by a wall of liquid metal.
Hundreds of pneumatic pistons are then used to compress the plasma until the atoms fuse, generating massive amounts of heat.
This heat is transferred by the liquid metal, and used to boil water and make steam to drive a turbine.
The mental pictures I'm trying to create based upon the words quoted above make no sense.
Is there a better place for this other than your topic? Or can this report (somehow) support (or contribute to) your topic?
(th)
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US-China Tech Race: Shock and Awe
https://www.ft.com/content/f6898cba-0b4 … 461767c6a0
UK plans new nuclear reactors to boost energy independence
https://cumbriacrack.com/2022/04/07/uk- … ependence/
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