The rise of the nuclear family in Western Europe fostered the creation of private and independent “corporations” that limited state power and promoted economic growth.
Category: Economics
Russian Collusion? I Predicted The Tenet Media Psy-Op Way Back In 2014 – Alt-Market.us
By Brandon Smith As a liberty writer and economist I have been working within the alternative media for almost 20…
The post Russian Collusion? I Predicted The Tenet Media Psy-Op Way Back In 2014 appeared first on Alt-Market.us.
Back to School—A Critique of the College Model
In a recent conversation with my college-educated friend, they expressed their sentiments that college, for many, was a waste, echoing a common critique among libertarians. Further, they continued, that if they were not led to believe that college would guarantee a well-paying career, they could have started working earlier, developing real-world skills, therefore, making closer…
Smashing the Western Illusion of Democracy
When our ruling classes speak of “believing in democracy,” they are speaking of a romantic version of a form of governance that, in real life, is quite different than the sanitized version presented in our media. Democracy, in reality, is a winner-take-all contest on a tilted playing field.
Our Moonshot Moment Is Here
Our Moonshot Moment Is Here
Authored by Nadia Schadlow & Craig Mundie via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
American policymakers have spent years decrying the loss or impending loss of key competitive sectors to China, including 5G telecommunications networks, solar panels, advanced manufacturing, and quantum computing. Recently, it was reported that China was outspending the United States on fusion energy and that it could surpass U.S. fusion capabilities in three to four years. The United States can’t let this happen.
Fusion will provide reliable, carbon-free electricity for an expanding global economy. That will have profound geopolitical consequences. If we allow China to dominate fusion technology and to deploy it at scale at home and abroad, Beijing will hold a central position in the geopolitics of energy going forward.
Fusion occurs when two atoms combine into one, releasing astronomical amounts of energy. Some new fusion designs produce superheated plasma that can reach temperatures of up to 100 million degrees Celsius, producing energy with minimal radiation risks.
For generations, fusion has been the stuff of science fiction because of the challenge of recreating the physics of the sun in a controlled environment on earth. But in the last few years, scientists and engineers, working on competing models for producing fusion, have made transformational progress on several classes of daunting problems, faster than the public perceives. And faster than U.S. policy is reflecting.
Just as important as the physics behind these milestones are the advances in key “adjacent technologies” that help to manage the hot plasma at the heart of all fusion reactions. Advances in fiber optics, semiconductors, and computing, including AI, have been critical to progress. Power semiconductors have allowed the introduction of different fusion architectures, creating more opportunities and faster progress. Advanced fiber optics mean we don’t have to worry about electromagnetic interference. Powerful computers allow this intricate atomic ballet to be choreographed and repeated thousands of times per second.
Thanks to American innovation and determination, the fusion moment is here. When matched with private sector investment, it’s a potent force. But we could lose this moment to China unless the U.S. government takes steps now to accelerate manufacturing at scale and deployment.
First, fusion must be considered a considered a key part of the shift to clean energy. The focus for years has been almost exclusively on renewable solar and wind – which cannot solve the problem of intermittent energy. A Department of Energy report in 2022 advanced a U.S. strategy to secure supply chains for “Robust Clean Energy Transition” without mentioning fusion. The Biden Administration’s “Decadal Vision” for commercial fusion was a corrective, but fusion will need wider acceptance to take its place in the world’s energy mix.
Second, the U.S. government must create a regulatory environment that differentiates modern fusion technology from 20th century nuclear energy and that allows for scaled deployment. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission – which controls matters related to fission and fusion energy – has taken some important first steps. In April 2023, for example, it acknowledged that fusion energy should be treated as a technology separate from nuclear fission. Notably, the U.K. government also ruled on the “fundamental differences between nuclear fission and fusion” and that it would be “unnecessary to incorporate fusion energy facilities into nuclear regulation.” These are key steps toward a regulatory structure that would allow U.S. companies to produce fusion generators at scale. We can’t afford to wait 10 years to plan for power plants to come on-line. Just as our airline industry produces scores of airplane designs without having to separately approve each plane, U.S. fusion companies need to be able to manufacture generators in a repeatable way in large-scale factories to be effective.
Deploying fusion generators at scale will have the added benefit of catalyzing American manufacturing. But to achieve this, the U.S. needs to make the needed components. Most attention in the Act is focused on leading-edge microchips for computing – the kinds that are now primarily made in Taiwan. But it’s critical that the United States and its allies produce the kind of other semiconductors that enable the sophisticated physics synthesis required by fusion. Currently, a large majority of high-power semiconductor production and innovation takes place outside the United States.
Third, loan programs and tax incentives that apply to renewables need to be opened up to fusion. Currently for example, the production tax credit for manufacturing is geared towards renewables and does not include fusion. These programs and various Department of Energy efforts, while well-funded, need to prioritize fusion.
In the 19th century, the great powers scrambled to develop technology and secure petroleum supplies around the globe to ensure a secure foothold in the energy future. Today, a similar scramble is unfolding. Electrification for economic growth coupled with the new energy requirements of generative AI – which are immense – together will have critical geostrategic consequences. Beijing recognizes that fusion is a source of near-unlimited energy and that achieving it at scale will not only give China the energy independence it craves but also a leading position as supplier of these new sources of energy around the world.
Fusion is a moonshot opportunity. We can’t afford to miss it.
Nadia Schadlow is a Senior Fellow at the Hudson Institute. Craig Mundie was formerly the Chief Research and Strategy Officer at Microsoft. Both are strategic advisors to Helion Energy, a U.S. based fusion energy company.
Tyler Durden
Thu, 09/12/2024 – 23:30
Japan says scrambled jets after Russia aircraft circled country
Japan’s military said it scrambled fighter jets on Thursday after two Russian patrol planes flew in a circle around the country, but there was no violation of Japanese airspace. The last time Russian military aircraft circled Japan was in 2019, a ministry official told AFP on Friday, but that incident involved bombers that did enter […]
The post Japan says scrambled jets after Russia aircraft circled country appeared first on Insider Paper.
Trump Pledges to End Taxes on Overtime: ‘Hardest-Working Citizens’
Donald Trump pledged to end taxes on overtime, referring to those workers as the “hardest-working citizens in our country.”
The post Trump Pledges to End Taxes on Overtime: ‘Hardest-Working Citizens in Our Country’ appeared first on Breitbart.
North Korea’s Kim Jong Un calls for boosting nuclear might
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un visited a nuclear facility and called for boosting the country’s nuclear capabilities in the face of growing threats from Washington and its allies, state media reported Friday. The report comes a day after North Korea fired multiple short-range ballistic missiles into waters east of the Korean peninsula, Seoul’s military […]
The post North Korea’s Kim Jong Un calls for boosting nuclear might appeared first on Insider Paper.
Breitbart Business Digest: Why We Don’t Feel We Are Better Off Than Four Years Ago
At Tuesday’s debate, Vice President Harris did everything she could to talk around the most important question of this election.
The post Breitbart Business Digest: Why We Don’t Feel We Are Better Off Than Four Years Ago appeared first on Breitbart.
JACK POSOBIEC and MICHAEL KNOWLES: Kamala Harris did not address the big problems her admin must answer for in debate
“Well, what was she going to say? Her administration has been a total failure,” Knowles stated.