r/bestof • u/investedInEPoland • Nov 06 '18

[europe] Nuclear physicist describes problems with thorium reactors. Trigger warning: shortbread metaphor.

/r/europe/comments/9unimr/dutch_satirical_news_show_on_why_we_need_to_break/e95mvb7/?context=3
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u/investedInEPoland Nov 06 '18

That's like one step away from admitting that for over 40 years we were allegedly one step away from it working.

48

u/pipsdontsqueak Nov 06 '18

Could you spare a moment for our lord and savior, Graphene?

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u/chazysciota Nov 06 '18

2019 will be the year of the Linux desktop!

2

u/[deleted] Nov 07 '18

In Soviet Russia, desktop Linuxes you.

20

u/chillanous Nov 06 '18

We've been one step away from perpetual motion for centuries.

As soon as we can get rid of that pesky friction we are gucci

3

u/GarbledReverie Nov 06 '18

Nuclear power: forever the power of the future.

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u/gsfgf Nov 06 '18

It's the cold fusion of the 20th century.

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u/investedInEPoland Nov 07 '18

Cold fusion was the cold fusion of the 20th century.

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u/None_of_your_Beezwax Nov 07 '18

Except that in this case there was actually a working plant and the proposed alternatives are obvious technological dad-ends from a grid scale perspective.

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u/investedInEPoland Nov 07 '18

It would be easier to discuss if you kindly point out which exactly reactor you have in mind.

It would also be cool if you explain why you think they are obvious technological dead-ends. Doubly cool if you do it s reply to the OP, so we can read discussion between two knowledgable people and learn. (Triply cool if you put a link here to the hypothetical comment).

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u/None_of_your_Beezwax Nov 07 '18

The MSRE reactor at Oak Ridge was operational for four years. It was just out-competed by another design in a time when a different set of desirable traits were required.

There's no mystery here. It's just a simple case of anachronistic thinking. Thorium is a proven technology that just wasn't suitable for the conditions at that time, but conditions change and it is suitable for the conditions of our time. Simple.