Comments by "Bo McGillacutty" (@Mrbfgray) on "Big Think" channel.

  1. Kaku's pet fusion is totally dependent on subsidies, huge ones.  I'm no expert but I don't believe fusion will be viable this century if ever, the hurdles are just too high.  I tend to think that fusion is almost a scam it's success is so remote. Solar is following a trajectory similar to many technologies and appears very close to being competitive.  Sure it's subsidized but so are fossil fuels as the environmental costs are not included in the price at the gas pump or electric meter--that's a good argument for a carbon tax to help level the field. We have spent trillions just protecting the Persian Gulf oil fields and shipping lanes and such interventions led to 9/11 attacks, etc. Those are massive taxpayer subsidies for OIL.
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  2. Been millions of unfilled 6 figure income REAL JOBS in the USA trades for decades, more than ever now, but who wants a job with any physical component especially when the trades have been stupidly stigmatized this century by our culture. For those with work ethics who can rise above mindless status, it's a big broad opportunity.
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  3. Another BOGUS title, good vid but irritating deception.
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  4. Itsover ninethousand Would you put money on that?  I'll bet you a 10 grand that it won't be suppling electricity to the grid in 10 yr.s.  Not even 40 yrs.  And in 10 yr.s no one will care because solar will make an even bigger joke out of fusion then it is today.  Solar is on a trajectory to be the cheapest electric EVER. 
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  5. Wreckapotamus: It's not only about thermodynamic efficiency. It's ultimately about *economic efficiency*, that means it must be cost competitive with the alternatives and I seriously doubt it ever will be. If the upfront capital costs are extreme as they appear to be, fusion will never be competitive with indirect fusion. We don't really care how efficiently the sun delivers it's power to us, only what we can do with the tiny fraction that reaches Earth. The vast majority of the sun's output escapes into space and it costs us NOTHING. Perhaps fusion be useful in other ways such as driving us to nearby star systems eventually where power to weight is everything, cost be damned. No doubt such research will advance many technologies in general, I champion that aspect, but not necessarily more so than investing similar amounts to dramatically improve what already works, like solar. I support basic research in general and it's no where near as wasteful as military expenditures for example.
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  6. I don't want a government to take care of me , just fix the darn roads and get the hell out of the road. I don't need to be taken care of I take care of myself thanks. I can't afford a government that can take care of me.
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  7. Getting old is better than the alternative. It get's old hearing him always referring to the accomplishments of others as "we physicists", or comparing himself to Einstein.
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  8. Only ever had substantial, challenging, high value added jobs since late teens. In the USA there are millions of 6 figure jobs in the trades that no one wants, been that way for decades but especially now. Apparently most don't want real work if it entails any physical component, god forbid they get hands dirty!
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  9. Learned how to enjoy running a long time ago--however, running a long race is misreble until it's over, to preform well you have to get sick.
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  10. There's a multi-decade severe shortage of REAL WORK in the USA trades, but it seems young ppl completely ignore the readily available 6 figure income as such jobs have been stupidly stigmatized and.... who really wants to work anyway?
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  11. Blindly trusting authorities and elites or anyone else is the same as any other religion, it's TOXIC.
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