Giant Laser Has Produced Nuclear Fusion

[TechJunkie]

Tech-junkie - interestingly enough...I agree with you on mostly everything, not going to pick apart anything, we would probably get along if we weren't both assholes

I concur......

[planters]

I dont think we are outside nature, I think we've evolved past the natural order of this planet. Science, ethics, money, and the need for power has fueled that. Bombs and guns are not natural tools, they are devices to empower, and control. We are far past the survival stage in evolution, and the only thing our intellect produces is consumption, destruction, and fear. If mankind was a true intellect we would have no wars, fear, pestilence, or hunger. We are a self serving race, and I'm sorry to say everyone has a hand in it, including me. The pettiness of our wants over weighs our needs, and the tactics we use to get those wants are unproductive, and destructive to this planet. Sorry, but I dont consider mankind as an intellectual beast. I think we play King of the Hill, and thumb our noses at everything beneath us just like little children playing in the park.

I'm sorry, but I disagree. I fear you might actually be a nihilist. Where do you place our intellect? What drove our evolution past the natural order if our evolution was the result of the natural order to some point? Of course we are a self serving race. I know you mean this to be a derogatory view, but according to the natural order ie the interaction of a myriad of interrelated and unconscious forces, who else are we supposed to serve?

My friend of 40 years in Chicago...his sister in law was a trauma nurse at the hospital she worked in. Her and her husband had their retirement funds all allocated, a rapid pace to pay off the house, trying to manage their two sons college education, they were both working their asses off and saw each other for just a few hours a day...anyway, long story short...she was hit and killed by a snowplow in the parking lot of her hospital while walking in to go to work.

That is very sad news. To live only in the past, present or future is too limiting, just as is living only for yourself or only for another. A dog lives mostly in the present and despite her watching me go to work from her comfortable bed, I do not want to live as a dog.

I sense a self loathing in many of these posts that I do not share. As I said before I am not Pollyanna, but I am upbeat about our ultimate future. I think we may be in store for an exciting ride (to paraphrase a Chinese curse), but I support our continuing evolution, and, I am looking to provide a nudge if I can. No, I'm not John Galt ( funny, I've heard this before), but I'm looking for others who share my view.

[TechJunkie]

I'm sorry, but I disagree. I fear you might actually be a nihilist. Where do you place our intellect? What drove our evolution past the natural order if our evolution was the result of the natural order to some point? Of course we are a self serving race. I know you mean this to be a derogatory view, but according to the natural order ie the interaction of a myriad of interrelated and unconscious forces, who else are we supposed to serve?

LOL, I had to look up nihilist. Not at all, brother. I dont know if I'm not being clear, or if you're on the defense and not understanding my view, because nihilist is waaay off.

We should be serving the whole, not the single. We should be making life better for everyone, instead of worrying about petty wants of the individuals.

I get what you are saying. we evolved from nature so everything we do is a natural occurrence. Much like how a virus is produced. The difference being a virus has a programmed agenda, while we have a choice. That choice is ego based, and that ego has moved us away from the natural workings of the planet that spawned us. Its not natural to destroy the environment that supports all life, no matter what kind of excuses mankind can come up with. We are the ONLY species on this planet that does this. This is not a natural occurrence.

I call the whole intellectual notion the Moe, Larry, and Curly syndrome. Knowledge is a collaborated agreement by intellectuals. Our knowledge is based on what the most intelligent people present us as fact, or speculation. Well the 3 stooges is based on the same principal. Larry, and Curly think Moe is genius because he knows far more than they ever will. But the fact is Moe is a moron too, he's just less a moron than Larry, and Curly. Do you get the gist of what I'm saying here? Our ego makes us think we are intellectuals, but the reality is we are morons. If we were true intellects the world would not be going down the toilet. Thats a fact, and no argument can change that. The whole worlds motivation is based on a piece of paper, dirty oil, and some shiny gold metal. How pathetic we are.

[planters]

LOL, I had to look up nihilist. Not at all, brother. I dont know if I'm not being clear, or if you're on the defense and not understanding my view, because nihilist is waaay off.

Good.

Its not natural to destroy the environment that supports all life, no matter what kind of excuses mankind can come up with. We are the ONLY species on this planet that does this. This is not a natural occurrence.

Actually, All species do this. They reach equilibrium not just by running out of prey animals, but many plants deplete the nitrogen in their soil or alter the pH or available light in a body of water. This is the natural order, but it might not be as obvious from a viewpoint within the machine.

To carry this viewpoint approach further, the stooges are hardly morons compared to a lowland gorilla. And, pick your genius they will probably be considered intellectually challenged when viewed from 10,000 years in the future. Whatever our current level of understanding of the universe, it is relative and I see no reason to disparage it.

[Galvonaut]

......
I get what you are saying. we evolved from nature so everything we do is a natural occurrence. Much like how a virus is produced. The difference being a virus has a programmed agenda, while we have a choice. That choice is ego based, and that ego has moved us away from the natural workings of the planet that spawned us. Its not natural to destroy the environment that supports all life, no matter what kind of excuses mankind can come up with. We are the ONLY species on this planet that does this. This is not a natural occurrence.
.....

I think that we can be directly compared to a virus or maybe closer to a bacterium. We can not tell if or what a bacterium 'thinks' but there are plenty out there which deplete their hosts natural resources and even kill them. Some also show signs of stress before they die. Creating an endospore is a good sign that an organism has run out of resources or modified it's environment to a state that is no longer liveable, or maybe an 'external' factor is making things hard - Clostridium difficile is one example.
If our space technology is advanced enough to keep us alive during an 'extinction event' or to send us to a new host, then maybe there is hope for us yet.

We have a choice as individuals but as a species, look what's happening. It looks very much like we do not have a choice, putting us on par with some viruses and bacteria.

Keith

[mixedgas]

If you guys think for one second what is said publically about that laser system's other mission, you'll understand why "Fusion" took so long.
It has another use. One that Is more important then you think. It lets something really nasty "Rust in Peace".

Peace Out,

Steve

[Laserman532]

If you guys think for one second what is said publically about that laser system's other mission, you'll understand why "Fusion" took so long.
It has another use. One that Is more important then you think. It lets something really nasty "Rust in Peace".

Peace Out,

Steve

Eventually they are going to mount it to a sharks head

[Laserman532]

can I ask that this thread moved to the Pro DJ Allen thread? And what the hell does it take to get some lasers mounted to a freakin sharks head around here anyway

[colouredmirrorball]

... This is the reason I'm 47 and have no kids. I've also been with a woman for 15 years who shares my same life decisions. If we do plan to have a child we will adopt, and fix someone else's mistake. We will not contribute to the problem.

That's noble of you. I had a discussion about this today, and my conclusion was that I only want a child (just one) if I could ensure it would be a benefit for humanity. Which is in fact a confusing concept for biologists, as many people think like this (why have only one kid while you could as well have 10 with ease in this society?) and biologically makes no sense. Another thing humans are unique in.

To be completely honest I think the whole human issue is self serving ego, and nothing else. ...

Yes. All humans, just like every other living creature, has only one goal in life: prosper. When you look at it from the point of view of evolution, that's to be expected. Any organism that isn't focused on surviving, will die out. There's no need to blame humans for that, it's our nature. I think it's great we have evolved to the point where we can understand this concept, and do something about it.

I also hear people say all the time, "it was an accident, we didnt plan to have a child". Thats the biggest crock of BS I've ever heard. There is no such thing. Birth control has been around forever. You also have the power to pull out at any time. Once again the self serving ego doesnt let this happen. And people wonder why there is a 50% divorce rate, millions of screwed up kids in foster homes/institutions, and over 55 million abortions between 1973-2012. How many before 1973? And this is just in the US.

This might be a little bit rude, but i see abortion as a form of birth control (though, other forms of birth control should always be preferred). Not sure what this is doing in the list of proof people screwed up.

I'm tired and blabbing, sorry. To answer the quote above, we are already meaningless. We bring nothing to the table for the planet. All we do is consume, manipulate, and destroy. We are the only species on the planet that does this. Mankind can disappear tomorrow and the planet would not skip a beat. The planet does not need us. In fact it would start to improve immediately once we were gone. We are a virus. and nothing else. We claim to be intellectuals, but the fact of the matter is everyday we contribute to killing the one thing that gives us all life. No one is exempt.

What does other life forms bring to the planet? Nothing. When another species dies out, nobody notices, except for the biologists who go mad at the loss of biodiversity. I dare say we are much more than just a virus. We have consciousness, we have discovered many secrets of nature, and who knows what we will be capable of.

So I dont live my life worrying about what catastrophes might happen in the future. I live for today, and try to enjoy as much of it as I can. I keep my world small and do the best I can. If shit hits the fan I'll deal with it, just like everyone else. But I will not waste mental energy contemplating things I cant change, or multiple angles on future scenarios that might happen. Those thoughts will suck the happiness right out of your life.

I try to make this one of the philosophies of my life (hence my signature). There's no goal in life. There's no reason we're here. The only thing you can do, is sing and dance while the music is being played. Just enjoy the ride.
That said, I *do* think it's valuable to waste mental energy thinking of solutions. Sure, you can just look at it from a distance like laserman does, but I think it's your responsibility as an educated human who is capable of moving beyond his own base desires to work on solutions.

But the real truth strangely enough - tech_junkie hit on it - Study - "The Present" The Present is a gift, the past is for memories and stories, the future is the present that hasn't occurred yet. Look into a newborns eyes, they hold the mysteries of the universe in their eyes because they are living in the moment...The second they start learning ANYTHING they devolve into us ego filled assholes that want to destroy the planet.

Today, I had the opportunity to look into a newborn's eye. I didn't see the mystery of the universe. All I saw was a confused face staring at so many unfamiliar people who were his family he met for the first time. I also saw a desire for pooping his pants, his mother's attention and naps. Cute as he might be, he already *is* an ego filled asshole. The only way that can be changed is through education. He will have to learn that there are 7 billion people on this planet, and that resources are limited, so that he will need to suppress his desires.

I dont think we are outside nature, I think we've evolved past the natural order of this planet. Science, ethics, money, and the need for power has fueled that. Bombs and guns are not natural tools, they are devices to empower, and control. We are far past the survival stage in evolution, and the only thing our intellect produces is consumption, destruction, and fear. If mankind was a true intellect we would have no wars, fear, pestilence, or hunger. We are a self serving race, and I'm sorry to say everyone has a hand in it, including me. The pettiness of our wants over weighs our needs, and the tactics we use to get those wants are unproductive, and destructive to this planet. Sorry, but I dont consider mankind as an intellectual beast. I think we play King of the Hill, and thumb our noses at everything beneath us just like little children playing in the park.

I agree for a large part with you. But my interpretation is different. Humanity is just like any other species, only interested in its own survival. Anything that can help us in that, will be used. When one nation thinks it benefits itself to bomb another nation, it will do that. If one group of people thinks it might benefit the life of their children, they will not hesitate to terrorize and torture. But I think humanity has the ability to evolute beyond the point where these kinds of deeds are necessary. There exists many society models where everybody benefits without causing harm. We need to use our intellect to build these kinds of societies. When you look at the numbers, we're actually succeeding in it.

Humanity is facing some very large challenges, some of which we caused ourselves. It is my belief that our technology can conquer those challenges (which is one of the reasons why I'm studying physics, to try and help improving humanity by solving some of its problems). One of my frustrations is that it's all going so slow. People are making the same mistakes over and over. World War Two was 70 years ago, and people groups are still murdering other people groups! People are still generalizing characteristics of people according to which group they belong to, even though we're all the same! Instead of being a sorry lot who doesn't know any better, nationalism is alive and kicking again! Did nobody pay attention in history?

I think the main problem in unstable countries is the insufficient education. People just aren't aware that people before them have faced the same kind of problems before, and that large scale murder just isn't the answer. Once humanity has achieved that all humans know this fact, one large problem will be removed from the list and we can move on.

Here's one spin: What could be accomplished in this country, if we (..just focusing on what "we" could do, here, in the US, since we clearly will never 'fix the world' (and need to stop "trying" ) if, aside from untouchable 'bio' / wildlife preserves / national-parks, etc, were to look at the *unbelieveable* amount of virtually virgin land in this country.. Every time I've to drive across it / thru large swaths, I am blown away by how much of it is *totally empty* / unused (for what it could-be being used for..) ..it just makes living in 'lego-stack cities' like NYC, et al, seem all the more idiotic..

NO
The *only* possibility for humans to survive in this world (or, survive a little bit longer, depending on how you look at it), is by living in cities. Large populated areas are a nightmare if you want to keep things ecological. Transport costs would be huge. If your idea became reality, there would be so much energy wasted, just by doing everyday movements. Say there is about one shop needed for every 1000 people. If those people live in one apartment complex, the store can be right next to this apartment, which is much more convenient and doesn't require additional transport. If those 1000 people were evenly spread out across the land... you get my point. There's nothing to gain from this idea.

..How different the US could be if every family-head was given a 2 acre-chunk of land, and the tools / knowledge to farm it, a wind-turbine / power-storage, well / stream-water-access / natural-gas standpipe, etc.. Surely, there's plenty of 'room'... (..oh, yeah, and then there's all the land in Canada... How would such a 'clean slate' / new-start be 'funded'? Just imagine what could be 'accomplished' if the "Gov" agreed to stop all Mil-spending - for *just ONE year* - (..surely, there's 'enough bullets to get-thru', ya? ..or, what about 'just' 2 years?

The US would no longer be a nation, but a collection of farms. Sure, there would no longer be a greedy elite of corporations and capitalists. But there would be no science, or any civilisation at that. Who is going to send their children to a school, when it's much more profitable to have them work at your farm? Not sending your children to school means they don't get to know the world. They can easily be manipulated by some lunatic, on a mission to kill all the jews.
Or, one person gets a swamp while his neighbour gets great farmlands. The one person will become jealous of his neighbour, and raid him. Who will stop him? There's no government around to control him.

I'm sorry, but this is really a dumb idea.

If you guys think for one second what is said publically about that laser system's other mission, you'll understand why "Fusion" took so long.
It has another use. One that Is more important then you think. It lets something really nasty "Rust in Peace".

Peace Out,

Steve

This annoys me so much. There is a form of nuclear fission that is in many ways superior to uranium-235 fission (based on thorium), but the only reason it's not used anywhere in the world is because you can't make nukes out of it. I really think humanity has evolved beyond this point. Why are there no thorium based nuclear power plants in times of non-proliferation? Or was that just a decoy so the rest of the world wouldn't get the impression the big boys were still busy developing atomic bombs?

[Stiffler]

This thread is starting to remind me of "idiocracy".