Mr. Josephson also makes a good point in saying there is no coverage for IEC fusion.

*BUT* i say to you... Just how much coverage do you think ITER would have received in all these scientific papers, if all this time they were awarded only 10% of the funding which they have actually been getting.?

No money for research and development.... well then how do you expect to have innovation. Without innovation theres no hope in hell you going to end up on any scientific papers.

That is the reason why there is no coverage.

cris perte, winnipeg, manitoba

Lew Glendenning's makes very valid points on cold fusion. However, much of the blame for the situation the field finds itself in lies with the editors of journals such as Science, Nature and Physical Review, who flatly refuse to publish anything in this area regardless of merit. I'm sure the situation would change if scientists could read about the research being done in journals such as these.

Prof. Brian Josephson, Cambridge, UK

The USA, Japan, and Australia are pursuing IEC Fusion.

Here is one of the American projects:

http://powerandcontrol.blogspot.com/2007/03/mr-fusion.html

Why aren't the Brits getting in on this? It promises fusion at much lower costs at much shorter timetables.

M. Simon, Rockford, Illinois, USA

I really hope this HIPER fusor will be succesful. Is the fusion reaction they are proposing aneutronic? Otherwise this should be just a step in the stairwell. You do not ralize your goal fully until you have devised aneutronic fusion.

One such company from the United States has done just that(aneutronic IEC fusion)... It is the Energy Matter Conversion Corporation with their Polywell fusion reactor, led by Dr. R.W. Bussard.

cris perte, winnipeg, MAnitoba canada

@ ian from madrid,
you forget that there is energy stored within the atom itself. fusing the atoms releases this energy. you are not getting more energy than you put in, just releasing stored energy.

stephen Russano, Brighton, MI

To Richard, of Thame in Oxfordshire: The amount of radiation from a fusion reactor is miniscule compared to the output of the Sun. Per deuterium-tritium reaction the radiation emitted is the same, but the quantities of these isotopes in the fusion reactor are insignificant compared to the volume of fuel available to the Sun.

The reactors will probably be in giant concrete buildings anyway, which should absorb the worst of the radiation anyway, leaving you safe and sound.

Ben, Birmingham,

This is very exciting indeed. After reading <a href="http://www.bauuinstitute.com/Publishing/QuantumBook.html">Quantum Ring Theory</a> I have been very excited about fusion possibilities for energy. We'll see what happens...

Peter, Boulder, Colorado

Its nice to see the UK doing more fusion work, perhaps we could work with Dr Bussard from the US, spread our basket of eggs a little and put a few into Polywell designs, as the fusor stable is looking more like the new frontier for those seeking to go where no one has gone before..

Nanos, London, UK

What about the radiation problems? To say it will be safer than nuclear fission seems to ignore the fact that we are constantly told that radiation from the sun is lethal to astronauts and the earth is only safe (relatively speaking) because of our atmosphere and the earths magnetic field. What will be required to protect us from the radiation from fusion power stations?

Richard, Thame, Oxfordshire

I wonder how long before someone finds a really obnoxious use for this technology. But anyway, I guess this is one of the few hopes we have to avoid environmental and energetic collapse if it isn't too late already.

Alessandro, Milan, Italy

It only uses 10,000 times out National grid for a fraction of a second, so they charge up huge capacitors for a long time then release the power in one quick bang.

Paul Dyer, Cardiff, Wales

......because it gets their funding.

Adam, Sheffield,

....they probably pay for it!

Kyri, Kingston, UK / Surrey

... they need money ...

marc, somewhere for sure, Germany

"And this requires EU approval because.........?"

Funds........

Drwo , Turku, Finland

The article claims "So far, decades of research have generated little more than hype." Mark Henderson - that's a tad unfair don't you think? The other mainstream fusion research project funded partly by the EU - ITER (www.iter.org) is currently under development, and that builds on the decades of research which, Mark, you describe as nothing more than 'hype'. Fusion may be taking longer than people at first estimated, but it is hardly surprising given the extreme conditions required for fusion. Similar delays of decades often accompany the building of something as prosaic as a new road in this country. At least the fusion guys have a jolly good excuse. It's not easy to deal with matter at such high pressures and temperatures, so please lay off with the sloppy dismissive comments. The easy job is journalism. At least *some* people are still prepared to study the hard subjects at university, otherwise you'd not be talking about the possibility of fusion power at all.

Andy B, London,

While I applaud the hard work of these scientists, spending this vast sum on this technology is utterly crazy when far better technologies have proven potential and are waiting in the wings, desperate for a fraction of this funding. Zero point energy is the dream answer to the world's energy needs. The fact that mainstream science can't fully explain it does not undermine it's potential and should not undermine it's pursuit. This fusion research is akin to using snails to power your car, rather than a modern internal combustion engine - i.e. it's theoretically possible but crazy when infinitely better alternatives exist.

Alex Kerr, London, UK

The obvious question arises as to whether the output of the reaction can be converted into enough usable energy to pay back the huge amount of power required by the laser, plus the deuterium production and other running costs of the plant. You also have to factor in the deterioration in the materials used to build the reaction chamber.

Although it would be a huge step forward for human civilisation, I'll believe it when I see it working!

Robinson, Cambridge, UK

Nuclear Fusion has been 'just round the corner' most of my 57 years, and I have been treated to insights into its development by my cousin who has worked on this as a research physicist at Culham and the Max Plank Institute in Munich.

The science is not hard in theory, but the engineering implications for the pilot are, to say the least, unbelievably daunting. Converting this into a daily usable technology will be orders of magnitude harder.

Like everyone else, I'm glad that the research money has been allocated, and I wish them every success in their venture.

Please forgive me if I remain cynical, but I would no more entrust the future of mankinds' energy needs, than I would give up work today on the strength of buying a lottery ticket.

Ottorino, WIltshire, UK

I'm not sure Professor Dunne is saying the laser needs 10,000 times the power of the grid to run it.

Rather the power from the laser is 10,000 times the power of the grid.

Leave the science to the scientists !!

Phil Davis, Cheltenham, UK

Fantastic. About time, too. This has been around as a theoretical solution for some time but there hasn't been the investment to get it over the hill from theory to practice.

If this can be made to work, and deployed commercially and reliably, we can focus on the real reasons for climate change (not man's puny contribution to it). And more importantly, we can think about how to respond to the effects of this probably irresistible natural phenomenon.

But now let's watch the eco-nutters attack this idea, and see how they continue to try to cover up their true anti-technology, anti-commerce and anti-wealth agenda.

David, York, N. Yorks

Q. And this requires EU approval because.........?

A. Hopefully, because it's going to be (at least in part) EU-funded...

Brian, Southampton, UK

...the EU will be paying for a lot of it!.
some people on here just can't help themselves, can they?

Ken, Dunblane,

Sounds great, but if the laser needs 10,000 times more power than the entire national grid can supply, where is the power going to come from?

Ian, Sheffield, UK

Whilst I applaud this effort and would certainly be prepared to see my tax money going to help fund it, I have to say that £500 million is but a drop in the bucket compared to what is required. The trouble with governments is that they don't look further forward than the next election, and this is a long-term project, perhaps another 30 years. Moreover, whilst they are happy to squander billions of tax payer's money on various schemes and initiatives that have proven to be of little effect or value, they are extremely reluctant to provide one penny for research. I'll just bet that these scientists had to go begging on bended knee to get even this "crumb". Make no mistake, we have already "solved" all the "easy" problems; fusion power promises to be MUCH more difficult, and if last week's physics exam paper is any indication of the level of technical and scientific education, then I despair.

Adrian Ryan, Donegal, Ireland

If I push my daughter on a park swing, the energy of raising the swing (input), seems to be less than the output of energy i.e the subsequent multiple movements of the swing, until it comes to a halt. If a dynamo could capture the output, so that when the swings stops, the captured energy could raise the swing to the level to be released again, you would have in theory perpetual motion. Qu. Is this "Swing theory" valid, and if "yes", could this have commercial impact - Seems environmental.

Ian, Madrid, Spain

If the laser has 10000 times the power of the entire UK National Grid...who is going to supply the power for the laser???????????????

Antoine, London, UK

As a nation we need this to work

As a nation we need to support it

but as a nation should we keep it secret or share it.

Note: Is it not General Electric destiny to buy the resulting company from us,,why not include them at the beginning,, it will save tax payers money.

Nicholas Iles, Oswestry, Shropshire

This is a complete waste of money, piled on top of the 10s of billions that have already been wasted.

Cold fusion has had very little research, shows far more promise of near-term return on investment.

The high-energy fusion physics establishment has succeeded in protecting their budgets by discrediting cold fusion. Nevertheless, the scientists who have continued to do this research have made continual progress: the experiments are more repeatable by new researchers, more papers are published in peer-reviewed journals, etc.

The physics establishment that controls this funding will be discredited. Our society can't afford dishonesty in these areas.

It is time to end government funding of scientific research, as it inevitably leads to this kind of corruption.

Lew Glendenning, Sunnyvale, CA

Ian, it is a nice idea but unfortunately mistaken. The energy required to move the swing to its high point is equal to all the energy lost in each of the swings (if we assume your daughter is absolutely still) until the swing stops moving. There is also a tiny amount lost through things like friction, wind resistance, heat generation and entropy. I also had an idea which was that of using the pressure of deep sea water to drive electricity generators but I am sure that the energy required to get whatever it is down there would be more than the energy it produced getting back, or trying to, the surface.

PSF, London, UK

The creation of non-oil and gas energy on a genuinely commercial scale will alter world and developed world politics in profound ways. Whether this leads to lessened or potentially heightened conflict is not determinable at this time.

The project has great merit.

walter marlowe, London, UK

Professor Dunne quoting the laser power as 10000 times the power of the Grid must surely know the difference between peak power (of the laser) and average power (of the Grid). His statement is misleading.

John Barry, Cromer, UK

10,000 times the power of the national grid! I hope they make sure its switched off when they are not using it. Conserving energy and all that. :-)

Ben, Reading, UK

Now I sit and wait for some tree hugger to find a reason to protest.

mike gee, bournemouth, uk

I'll believe it when I see it. This has been hyped for 30+ years, and still nothing.

Michael Richmond, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA

Hi I am very pleased with the announcement, although £500,000,000 sounds like a lot of money, in reality it is very small, if this technology has a chance of replacing all our energy needs surely the priority should have a much larger budget, we spend more than that on failed govenermrnts IT projects that no one wanted in the first place; would not a real billion pounds be more like it i.e £1,000,000,000,000? At leas you got this right "petawatt (a million billion watts)" is 1,000,000,000,000,000 Watts

Best Regards

Andrew Lenton, Fleet, G.B

Ian from Madrid:

No, it's not valid. Your daughter, if you let her swing freely, will never go higher than the point you released her from, and air resistance will quickly slow her down to a stop. She can keep it going by transferring energy to the system by swinging her legs. The chemical energy in her muscles translates into kinetic energy, which is quickly used up anyway.

Sure, it'd be a way of generating energy, but it's not perpetual motion. The second law of thermodynamics is most definitely unbreakable.

Martin, St Andrews, Scotland

[And this requires EU approval because.........?]

Because the EU is paying for half of it - aren't they kind?

Chris Rogers, Swindon, UK

John: Because they're paying for it

Peter Jeavons, Cwmbran,

It uses EU money, I suppose.

David, York, N. Yorks

To John Ledbury: it needs EU approval because they're paying for it.

Ron Frost, Beijing, China

Presumably this does not require EU approval; more likely it requires EU backing, which would push the project along considerably faster and cheaper (for the UK) than otherwise.

In addition may I underline the curious spelling of influential as influ-ential. Is this some joke I am not getting?

Jon, Liverpool, UK

The EU will be providing funding rather than approval, not all EU initiatives are evil

Ian, Frederick, USA

If I push my daughter on a park swing, the energy of raising the swing (input), seems to be less than the output of energy i.e the subsequent multiple movements of the swing, until it comes to a halt. If a dynamo could capture the output, so that when the swings stops, the captured energy could raise the swing to the level to be released again, you would have in theory perpetual motion. Qu. Is this "Swing theory" valid, and if "yes", could this have commercial impact - Seems environmental.

Ian, Madrid, Spain

And this requires EU approval because.........?

John Ledbury, Kings Lynn, England

So, It's buy 10,000 get one free!. If you fall for that, you will fall for anything.

James, Farnham, Surrey, UK