Mentalcase Posted March 6, 2014 #1 Share Posted March 6, 2014 http://www.iflscience.com/physics/13-year-old-becomes-youngest-scientist-achieve-nuclear-fusion Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DecoNoir Posted March 6, 2014 #2 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Not terribly frightening. One would need a lot more fusionable material in order for such a thing to be a bomb, if that's what your getting at. The greatest danger would be a radiation leak, and even that wouldn't be catastrophic, unless he has a REALLY large fuel source compressed in there. My hats off to the little guy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XenoFish Posted March 6, 2014 #3 Share Posted March 6, 2014 So easy a kid can do it, hat's off to him. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentalcase Posted March 6, 2014 Author #4 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Not terribly frightening. One would need a lot more fusionable material in order for such a thing to be a bomb, if that's what your getting at. The greatest danger would be a radiation leak, and even that wouldn't be catastrophic, unless he has a REALLY large fuel source compressed in there. My hats off to the little guy. To me the scary part is how easy it was done. Simply from directions found on the internet. What is stopping our enemies from doing this with an even higher budget and stockpiling? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DecoNoir Posted March 6, 2014 #5 Share Posted March 6, 2014 To me the scary part is how easy it was done. Simply from directions found on the internet. What is stopping our enemies from doing this with an even higher budget and stockpiling? Well, most of the nations that could do it already have. However, while the concepts are fairly simple, the acquisition of materials is a fairly big obstacle. If your going for a fusion weapon, who need the critical mass of the right hydrogen isotope, and then the critical mass of the right plutonium or uranium isotope to fuel the fission weapon that starts the reaction in the fusion weapon. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keninsc Posted March 6, 2014 #6 Share Posted March 6, 2014 (edited) You better hope no one achieves fusion here on Earth because we don't have a technology that will contain it. Essentially, it would turn the Earth into our solar systems' second Sun. Edited March 6, 2014 by keninsc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aus Der Box Skeptisch Posted March 6, 2014 #7 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Um... Ken your joking right? LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sepulchrave Posted March 6, 2014 #8 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Seems like there are several misconceptions out there... Hydrogen Fusion is completely different from Uranium (or Plutonium) Fission. No radioactive isotopes are produced during fusion. The only possible danger is radiation emitted from high energy collisions while the machine is on. Turn the machine off, and all radiation goes away. These machines were invented decades ago. They do not produce any energy. They are not self-sustaining. They require an external energy source. Other than science fair projects, these machines are only used as a tabletop source of neutrons (as a more controllable alternative to radioactive isotopes). No country on the planet is worried that their enemies might stockpile these. These machines have no potential as weapons, unless you count throwing them at a nearby enemy. A fusion bomb has nothing in common with this machine other than that it too uses hydrogen. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentalcase Posted March 6, 2014 Author #9 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Thanks for the clarification! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
questionmark Posted March 6, 2014 #10 Share Posted March 6, 2014 The dirty little secret always was that it is complicated to get your hands on the materials, making it blow or heat up water to steam is the easiest part of the process. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhyDontYouBeliEveMe Posted March 6, 2014 #11 Share Posted March 6, 2014 anyone think that if that kid lived in iran , you think he would survive ? assassination maybe ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emma_Acid Posted March 7, 2014 #12 Share Posted March 7, 2014 anyone think that if that kid lived in iran , you think he would survive ? assassination maybe ? Why?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Noteverythingisaconspiracy Posted March 7, 2014 #13 Share Posted March 7, 2014 To me the scary part is how easy it was done. Simply from directions found on the internet. What is stopping our enemies from doing this with an even higher budget and stockpiling? Any enemy that starts to stockpiling a device that consumes more energy than it produces is not a very dangerous enemy This is a neutron source, not a reactor or a weapon. Sometimes its a good idea to check up on things before you starts getting scared. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WhyDontYouBeliEveMe Posted March 7, 2014 #14 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Why?? this is why ! http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/just-who-has-been-killing-irans-nuclear-scientists-8861232.html , genius like that could be a treat to the western countries ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentalcase Posted March 7, 2014 Author #15 Share Posted March 7, 2014 Any enemy that starts to stockpiling a device that consumes more energy than it produces is not a very dangerous enemy This is a neutron source, not a reactor or a weapon. Sometimes its a good idea to check up on things before you starts getting scared. Actually, whether I check up on something or not is none of your business. The directions for making fusion bombs are online as well. Basically, anyone with enough knowledge and access to materials can create weapons. Sure, this particular experiment is harmless, to an extent. I am quite alright not knowing everything that I post. I appreciate my UM comrades to help me out if and when I am wrong or uninformed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crabby Kitten Posted March 8, 2014 #16 Share Posted March 8, 2014 That was on the news the other day. What a brilliant kid! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keninsc Posted March 8, 2014 #17 Share Posted March 8, 2014 Um... Ken your joking right? LOL No! That's why they make a distinction between fusion and cold fusion. Fusion reaction is what runs the Sun......take a look at it next time you're out......no life there. Cold fusion is another matter, supposedly it can be contained using high powered magnetic fields, but that only in theory. Fact is, cold fusion is only a theory, fusion we make thermonuclear bombs out of which are less than 1% efficient. Yes, really. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Noteverythingisaconspiracy Posted March 8, 2014 #18 Share Posted March 8, 2014 (edited) Keninsc you do realise there are a few differences between the earth and the sun right ? - The sun is mostly hydrogen and helium (which can produce fusion), while the earth is mostly silicon, oxygen and iron (which cant) - The sun is about 330000 times larger than earth - The temperature in the suns center is 15,7 million kelvin, the earths is about 6000 degrees in the core There is absolutely no way a fusion reaction can get out of control on earth, simly because there are not enough heath and pressure to sustain it anywhere on earth. (exept on a very small scale in experimental reactors) Edited March 8, 2014 by Noteverythingisaconspiracy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keninsc Posted March 9, 2014 #19 Share Posted March 9, 2014 Yes and I also know what will happen if a fusion reaction runs away, and so should you, judging from your Pius tone. You do realize that the Sun, ours or anyone else's began life as regular matter.....that's the same stuff our planet is made of, then came the fusion thing, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sepulchrave Posted March 9, 2014 #20 Share Posted March 9, 2014 Yes and I also know what will happen if a fusion reaction runs away, and so should you, judging from your Pius tone. You do realize that the Sun, ours or anyone else's began life as regular matter.....that's the same stuff our planet is made of, then came the fusion thing, right? Fusion is fusion. There is no difference between the mechanism of ``cold fusion'' and ``hot fusion''. The Sun is a self-sustaining fusion reaction because it has achieved critical mass. NOTHING on Earth will EVER achieve critical mass of unassisted self-sustaining fusion (unless we get several thousand times the mass of the Earth in hydrogen from somewhere). We MIGHT be able to achieve self-sustaining fusion with confinement (such as at ITER or similar experimental facilities), but if the confinement is breached, the fusion will stop. This isn't very complicated. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Noteverythingisaconspiracy Posted March 9, 2014 #21 Share Posted March 9, 2014 (edited) Yes and I also know what will happen if a fusion reaction runs away, and so should you, judging from your Pius tone. You do realize that the Sun, ours or anyone else's began life as regular matter.....that's the same stuff our planet is made of, then came the fusion thing, right? Im not trying to be pius, im just trying to explain the reason why the earth can't possibly become a new sun. Its made of the wrong elements and its much to small and cold to ignite a fusion reaction anyway. The earth is NOT made of the same material as the sun. The sun is made of hydrogen and helium, while the earth is made mainly of iron, silicon and oxygen. Actually i was trying to tell you that you dont have to worry about it, but if you want to worry about something that can't possibly happen, thats your decision, i was just trying to reassure you. Edited March 9, 2014 by Noteverythingisaconspiracy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psyche101 Posted March 10, 2014 #22 Share Posted March 10, 2014 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keninsc Posted March 11, 2014 #23 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Mom's can be very cool. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Insignia Posted March 14, 2014 #24 Share Posted March 14, 2014 13 year old achieves Nuclear Fusion!... With School-provided equipment... And £2000 funding... And probably plenty of help... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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