Fusion's Dawn: Abundant Fuel, Inherent Safety, and Our Energy Future

Resources

Books

• "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams - Mentioned in the context of the long-standing joke about fusion being "30 years away and always will be."

Articles & Papers

• "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" - This appears to be a misinterpretation in the transcript. The reference was to the joke about fusion, not the book title itself.

People Mentioned

• Einstein - Referenced for his equation E=mc², which explains the relationship between mass and energy released in fusion and fission.
• DHH - Mentioned as the creator of the technology stack that Shopify utilizes, and potentially an ambassador for it.
• John F. Kennedy - Quoted at the end of the podcast with his famous line about choosing difficult tasks.

Organizations & Institutions

• Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) - Mentioned for its definition of a "reactor" and its role in regulating fusion power.
• Department of Health (Washington State) - Referenced for licensing fusion systems as particle accelerators.
• Microsoft - Mentioned as a partner for building a fusion power plant to power one of their data centers.
• White House - Mentioned for a call regarding the "bold decadal study in fusion."

Websites & Online Resources

• sample size subreddit - Mentioned for a post regarding the preferred pronunciation of "fission."
• lexfridman.com/sponsors - Mentioned as a place to find information about podcast sponsors.
• lexfridman.com/contact - Mentioned as a way to get in touch with the podcast host.

Other Resources

• "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" joke about fusion - This is a recurring theme, highlighting the historical perception of fusion being perpetually just out of reach.
• E=mc² - Explained as a fundamental relationship discovered by Einstein, crucial for understanding energy release in nuclear reactions.
• Strong Nuclear Force - Mentioned as one of the fundamental forces involved in fusion.
• Gravitational Confinement - Described as the method of confinement used by stars, like the sun.
• Laser Inertial Fusion - A category of fusion approach where high-power lasers are used to compress fuel.
• National Ignition Facility (NIF) - Mentioned as an example of a facility that has demonstrated laser inertial fusion.
• Theta Pinch - An early fusion approach that used a linear topology and solenoids.
• Mirror Fusion - An iteration of the theta pinch that attempted to close the ends of the linear topology.
• Field Reverse Configuration (FRC) - The pulsed magneto-inertial fusion approach used by Helion, where plasma self-organizes into a closed magnetic field.
• Solenoid - A type of magnetic coil used in linear fusion approaches.
• Maxwell's Equations - Referenced for the principles of electromagnetism that govern magnetic fields.
• Lenz's Law - Mentioned in the context of induced electrical currents in conductors.
• Transformer - Used as an analogy to explain induced currents in plasma.
• Solar Flare/Plasmoid - Used as a natural example of self-organizing plasma with magnetic fields.
• High Beta Plasmas - Discussed in the context of plasma pressure versus magnetic field pressure and their stability.
• S* over E parameter - A parameter discussed for stabilizing Field Reverse Configurations, analogous to spinning a top.
• Advancement Act - A piece of legislation mentioned for its role in regulating fusion power.
• Part 50 and Part 30 (NRC regulations) - Differentiated regulatory frameworks for nuclear reactors and other applications like particle accelerators.
• Wendelstein 7-X - Mentioned as a premier stellarator.
• Kardashev Scale (Type 1 and Type 2) - Discussed as a measure of civilization's energy consumption and potential.
• Matryoshka Brains - A concept of advanced civilizations focusing on cognitive expansion rather than physical expansion, powered by Dyson spheres.