Deceitful Fusion Science Communication

Nils Loc October 03, 2021 at 20:26 1075 views 2 comments

So it looks like we've been lied to by all popular science articles about fusion outputs. The multibillion dollar project of ITER will not produce more power than it takes in. Makes it seem like net gain fusion is 100s of years away still, and still then it will likely be very expensive.

Doesn't this just further undermine trust in the representatives of science? ITER represents a huge commitment of resources, internationally funded by governments. Couldn't these resources have been put to better use alternative energy sustainability projects?

What do you think?

Comments (2)

_db October 03, 2021 at 22:50 #603364 0 likes

Wait, so let me get this straight:

Journalists, with no expertise in the field they are reporting, can publish inaccurate articles, and may even do so intentionally?
Scientists, like any other human, enjoy attention and money, and can lie or mislead other people to get more of it?
Bureaucratic organizations inherently try to perpetuate themselves, and may falsify or misrepresent information to do so?
Most people do not and cannot understand all of the technologies around them, and so defer judgement to a class of people called experts, the members of which may or may not have moral integrity?

:yikes:

Nils Loc October 10, 2021 at 21:14 #605689 0 likes

Reply to darthbarracuda

Nice list. :up:

So the whole of our human economy is and has always been subject to this widespread frailty, where the pursuit of self-interest is primary and the moral obligation to convey truth is secondary, expedited by the absurd inefficiencies of bureaucracy.