The Fool said: > The difference is that computer processor speed / # of transistors, > RAM Size and Hard-Disk storage have all _continued_ doubling every 18 > or so months, and will continue to do so. It's actually slightly > faster than that (there are two exponents, the rate of doubling is > also increasing if more slowly).
Fusion has advanced similarly. The key value, the triple product of plasma density, temperature and confinement time has increased by a factor of 10,000 in the last thirty years (its increase has been exponential for much of that period). It's now estimated to be within a factor of six of the value required for a commercial fusion reactor, which means it really might be close now. On the other hand, the price of fusion research is increasing and the intermediate step between reactors like JET and a pilot commercial plant might be too expensive just yet. Rich _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
