Technology, Science and the Environment.

[blabyboy]

Think of the number of accidents on roads due to the close proximity of each other. If you increase the available space that factor could lead to less accidents overall.

 

I'm sure there would still be accidents, just as happens with our current transports.

[leicsmac]

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-60116475

 

Good news: JWT in a safe parking orbit and now we can start readying it to show us the reaches of time and space.

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-60115969

 

Bad news: by the time it actually is able to do so no one will care because we'll all be too busy shanking each other over one of the few remaining viable tins of beans.

[leicsmac]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-60150542

 

As they say in the medical profession this is probably an unusual horse rather than a zebra, but interesting nonetheless.

[Foxdiamond]

Talking of environment. What is it about large number of people that think nothing of dropping all sorts of litter. We seem to be the worst country for this. City, town and rural areas blighted. We need this to be more socially unacceptable and stiffer penalties with enforcement as well as education 

[samlcfc]

5 hours ago, Foxdiamond said:

Talking of environment. What is it about large number of people that think nothing of dropping all sorts of litter. We seem to be the worst country for this. City, town and rural areas blighted. We need this to be more socially unacceptable and stiffer penalties with enforcement as well as education 

Some people are pretty clueless when it comes to littering. Spoke to a lad a while back about littering after he dropped rubbish infront of me. He went off, asking me why I was picking on him and whether I was the police.

 

He picked it up, dropped it down the drain and asked 'is that better'?

 

Not ideal pal. Seemed like he genuinely thought he'd turned the situation around though.

Edited 27 January 2022 by samlcfc

[Nalis]

7 minutes ago, samlcfc said:

Some people are pretty clueless when it comes to littering. Spoke to a lad a while back about littering after he dropped rubbish infront of me. He went off, asking me why I was picking on him and whether I was the police.

 

He picked it up, dropped it down the drain and asked 'is that better'?

 

Not ideal pal. Seemed like he genuinely thought he'd turned the situation around though.

What a twat, dont understand whats wrong with some people

[Foxdiamond]

18 minutes ago, samlcfc said:

Some people are pretty clueless when it comes to littering. Spoke to a lad a while back about littering after he dropped rubbish infront of me. He went off, asking me why I was picking on him and whether I was the police.

 

He picked it up, dropped it down the drain and asked 'is that better'?

 

Not ideal pal. Seemed like he genuinely thought he'd turned the situation around though.

You did well to challenge him. Just staggering the ignorance from some. Not only kids but plenty of adults.

[Dahnsouff]

Sounds like edging toward confirmation for what was previously suspected

 

Autoimmune conditions: Vitamin D, fish oil supplements may lower risk (medicalnewstoday.com)

 

edit: Vitamin D and marine omega 3 fatty acid supplementation and incident autoimmune disease: VITAL randomized controlled trial | The BMJ

Edited 7 February 2022 by Dahnsouff

[leicsmac]

https://www.psypost.org/2022/02/study-provides-first-evidence-of-a-causal-link-between-perceived-moral-division-and-support-for-authoritarian-leaders-62479

 

“Basically, when we think opposing groups in society hold incompatible moral views and that society was facing a battle of ‘good versus evil,’ we are more likely to think that society is breaking down. In turn, we are more likely to see extreme authoritarian leaders as a potential solution. So, we see an increased desire to elect these extreme leaders, who chances are, will ultimately seek to divide us even further.”  “However, broadly speaking, we actually tend to agree on more than we realize and it is the perception that our society is divided that presents more of a threat than the actual divisions that do exist.” 

 

The psychology of all of this is darkly fascinating. Also, the more we know about it, the more likely we might know a way to stop the potential disaster division results in.

[blabyboy]

2 hours ago, leicsmac said:

The psychology of all of this is darkly fascinating. Also, the more we know about it, the more likely we might know a way to stop the potential disaster division results in.

But the question is, do _they_ want us to know that answer 😉

[Jon the Hat]

3 hours ago, leicsmac said:

https://www.psypost.org/2022/02/study-provides-first-evidence-of-a-causal-link-between-perceived-moral-division-and-support-for-authoritarian-leaders-62479

 

“Basically, when we think opposing groups in society hold incompatible moral views and that society was facing a battle of ‘good versus evil,’ we are more likely to think that society is breaking down. In turn, we are more likely to see extreme authoritarian leaders as a potential solution. So, we see an increased desire to elect these extreme leaders, who chances are, will ultimately seek to divide us even further.”  “However, broadly speaking, we actually tend to agree on more than we realize and it is the perception that our society is divided that presents more of a threat than the actual divisions that do exist.” 

 

The psychology of all of this is darkly fascinating. Also, the more we know about it, the more likely we might know a way to stop the potential disaster division results in.

Talking to people you disagree with, and teaching your children they can have friends form all walks of life is the key here.

[leicsmac]

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-60312633

 

Another step along the road.

[AmyLGK]

6 hours ago, leicsmac said:

https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-60312633

 

Another step along the road.

This is incredibly exciting!! Not only because of the sustained plasma producing over twice as much energy as in 1997, but for the first time ever materials and systems that will be used on the fusion devices of the future have been tested in real-life conditions!! I can't wait to read the results from the plasma - tungsten interactions!

[Zear0]

29 minutes ago, AmyLGK said:

This is incredibly exciting!! Not only because of the sustained plasma producing over twice as much energy as in 1997, but for the first time ever materials and systems that will be used on the fusion devices of the future have been tested in real-life conditions!! I can't wait to read the results from the plasma - tungsten interactions!

Very interested in potential output from JET.  Appreciate it isn't the objective of the facility, but as it ages I wonder if they'll increase the fuel used to derive actual Max Q of the facility.  I know they're, understandably, not hitting it too hard to not irradiate the parts but hopefully we'll see more active experiments.

[AmyLGK]

14 minutes ago, Zear0 said:

Very interested in potential output from JET.  Appreciate it isn't the objective of the facility, but as it ages I wonder if they'll increase the fuel used to derive actual Max Q of the facility.  I know they're, understandably, not hitting it too hard to not irradiate the parts but hopefully we'll see more active experiments.

They can't achieve (much) more sustained power (in 1997 they had a 16 MW spike that lasted 0.15 seconds) - it's major limitations are the copper magnets - they can only operate for 5 seconds before getting too hot. Plus, power out of a toroidal device like JET is dependant on the volume of plasma - ITER will have a plasma volume ten times greater than JET and use superconducting magnets that are cooled so will be able to operate for hundreds of seconds - all leads to hopefully ITER producing as much power as is put in (i.e. "breakeven") - it'll be the devices post ITER (i.e. DEMO and STEP) that will hopefully produce more than is put in and be able to generate electricity. 

Edited 9 February 2022 by AmyLGK

[blabyboy]

3 hours ago, Zear0 said:

Very interested in potential output from JET.  Appreciate it isn't the objective of the facility, but as it ages I wonder if they'll increase the fuel used to derive actual Max Q of the facility.  I know they're, understandably, not hitting it too hard to not irradiate the parts but hopefully we'll see more active experiments.

According to beeb article, JET eol'd in 2023 and ICER expected to start in 2025. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-60312633

[leicsmac]

Actually being able to crack fusion would be the single most important scientific development since...well, for a long time.

 

It's both an order of magnitude cleaner than fossil fuels and an order of magnitude more powerful than anything else available.

[WigstonWanderer]

41 minutes ago, blabyboy said:

According to beeb article, JET eol'd in 2023 and ICER expected to start in 2025. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-60312633

Seems a shame since it’s been going so long. It would be nice to keep the band together.

 

Naively I’d have thought that with sufficient extra funding they’d be able to swap the copper coils for the sort of high temperature superconductors that they are playing with at MIT, and perhaps leapfrog the ITER technology. Presumably huge engineering challenges to do this I suppose, and perhaps a lack of political will to provide funding.

 

Desperate to see fusion worked out before I go EOL, and ITER seems to move at a snail’s pace, being such a large and cumbersome project.

Edited 10 February 2022 by WigstonWanderer

[AmyLGK]

6 hours ago, blabyboy said:

According to beeb article, JET eol'd in 2023 and ICER expected to start in 2025. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-60312633

 

6 hours ago, WigstonWanderer said:

Seems a shame since it’s been going so long. It would be nice to keep the band together.

 

Naively I’d have thought that with sufficient extra funding they’d be able to swap the copper coils for the sort of high temperature superconductors that they are playing with at MIT, and perhaps leapfrog the ITER technology. Presumably huge engineering challenges to do this I suppose, and perhaps a lack of political will to provide funding.

 

Desperate to see fusion worked out before I go EOL, and ITER seems to move at a snail’s pace, being such a large and cumbersome project.

 

Morning 

 

RE: ITER - Its planned to start generating plasma in 2025, but these will deuterium-deuterium (D-D) plasmas - then hopefully in 2035 they will start their deuterium-tritium (D-T) campaign (which is the actual fuel to be used in fusion power stations and what JET was using to break these current records). 

 

Whilst it would be wonderful for JET to continue - it's ultimately a lab scale physics experiment and once ITER comes on line (which is ten times bigger than JET), will have served its purpose. BUT what is also exciting is that on the same site as JET, researchers have been testing the theory that rather than go bigger (ITER), that by changing the plasma chamber shape and making it smaller we can also increase the energy produced by fusion - this is the Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak (MAST) which has given really positive results and off the back of this, here in the UK we're further developing this spherical tokamak idea with the government committed to producing a demonstration power station by 2040 (so if you hear about STEP that's what that is about). Whilst making smaller, compact fusion devices would cost an awful lot less than very large ones like ITER, they present their own challenges - for one, they have to contain the same 150 million degrees Celsius and fusion reactions but in a much smaller volume, meaning the materials that make up the inner chamber will need to withstand even hotter temperatures and higher levels of radiation. BUT MAST was recently upgraded to test a new exhaust system to remove excess heat - which a few months ago it did so successfully!!! Again - another huge stride forward in making fusion power a reality. 

 

Fusion is flipping hard - but each time we make a break though like the ones we've been seeing, it proves that not only is it a viable way of making power, but that the predictions (maths, computational models, small scale experiments) have been right giving, us confidence that we will be able to generate electricity using fusion, within my lifetime at least. 

 

[WigstonWanderer]

5 hours ago, AmyLGK said:

 

 

Morning 

 

RE: ITER - Its planned to start generating plasma in 2025, but these will deuterium-deuterium (D-D) plasmas - then hopefully in 2035 they will start their deuterium-tritium (D-T) campaign (which is the actual fuel to be used in fusion power stations and what JET was using to break these current records). 

 

Whilst it would be wonderful for JET to continue - it's ultimately a lab scale physics experiment and once ITER comes on line (which is ten times bigger than JET), will have served its purpose. BUT what is also exciting is that on the same site as JET, researchers have been testing the theory that rather than go bigger (ITER), that by changing the plasma chamber shape and making it smaller we can also increase the energy produced by fusion - this is the Mega Amp Spherical Tokamak (MAST) which has given really positive results and off the back of this, here in the UK we're further developing this spherical tokamak idea with the government committed to producing a demonstration power station by 2040 (so if you hear about STEP that's what that is about). Whilst making smaller, compact fusion devices would cost an awful lot less than very large ones like ITER, they present their own challenges - for one, they have to contain the same 150 million degrees Celsius and fusion reactions but in a much smaller volume, meaning the materials that make up the inner chamber will need to withstand even hotter temperatures and higher levels of radiation. BUT MAST was recently upgraded to test a new exhaust system to remove excess heat - which a few months ago it did so successfully!!! Again - another huge stride forward in making fusion power a reality. 

 

Fusion is flipping hard - but each time we make a break though like the ones we've been seeing, it proves that not only is it a viable way of making power, but that the predictions (maths, computational models, small scale experiments) have been right giving, us confidence that we will be able to generate electricity using fusion, within my lifetime at least. 

 

Well with a bit of luck I might make it to 2040 

 

Thanks for the update. Are you involved in this research?

[AmyLGK]

14 minutes ago, WigstonWanderer said:

Well with a bit of luck I might make it to 2040 

 

Thanks for the update. Are you involved in this research?

haha fingers crossed we all will!! 

 

I lead a research group at a university to develop the fuel and the first wall (inner chamber wall) materials for the post ITER devices - like STEP and DEMO. Some of our projects are co-funded by UKAEA. Please see my twitter page (link below in my signature) for more information 

[leicsmac]

4 minutes ago, AmyLGK said:

haha fingers crossed we all will!! 

 

I lead a research group at a university to develop the fuel and the first wall (inner chamber wall) materials for the post ITER devices - like STEP and DEMO. Some of our projects are co-funded by UKAEA. Please see my twitter page (link below in my signature) for more information 

I don't suppose you need a science communicator/press release content creator, do you?

[Foxdiamond]

7 minutes ago, AmyLGK said:

haha fingers crossed we all will!! 

 

I lead a research group at a university to develop the fuel and the first wall (inner chamber wall) materials for the post ITER devices - like STEP and DEMO. Some of our projects are co-funded by UKAEA. Please see my twitter page (link below in my signature) for more information 

Crikey there are some really clever people on this forum!. Out of my depth on this topic. I'll contain myself to worrying about our back four

[AmyLGK]

7 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

I don't suppose you need a science communicator/press release content creator, do you?

Funnily enough - our marketing person is leaving this week!! He created all of the comms content for our department! I've just asked him if he knows if / when his job will be advertised. I'll let you know what he says (and keep an eye out for the advert).

[Zear0]

11 minutes ago, AmyLGK said:

haha fingers crossed we all will!! 

 

I lead a research group at a university to develop the fuel and the first wall (inner chamber wall) materials for the post ITER devices - like STEP and DEMO. Some of our projects are co-funded by UKAEA. Please see my twitter page (link below in my signature) for more information 

Appreciate sharing all this.  Out of personal professional curiosity, what are the main challenges you're having to overcome with the material selection?  Noting the fuel used and high temperatures is hydrogen embrittlement the main concern for operations, or is the environment adequately controlled that it's less of a problem?  Presume all materials (at that temperature no s*** springs to mind) are upper shelf materials so getting adequate material toughness for the thermal stress intensities is doable?  Last one (I promise), how damaging are the neutrons to the material, are we likely to get some massive toughness degradation through life or is not to bad?

 

Regards,

 

One of the design folk!