[I cannot think of a name]

While it all sounds very trivial, this is part of the larger search for the Holy Grail - true fusion energy production.

All this silliness about electric cars and the like is just that silliness - because the energy it takes to produce the electricity it typically as dirty and troublesome as fossil fuel. Fusion energy would be a game changer. If there were a cheap, nonpolluting way to create electricity, a bunch of environmentalist wet dreams could come through.

Having said that, I have a friend that is a physicists and he assures me practically fusion energy production isn't likely to happen in our life time. But I guess they could always get lucky.

[lbryce]

So I can expect to have my jetpack, when?

[exhaustguy]

Good article in recent Scientific American regarding commercial fusion. Even if the science is figured out, the requisite technologies are not in place (materials science and mechanical engineering are not advanced enough to develop a durable containment vessel). What we would be left with is a short run very expensive toy demonstrating concept with a casing that is radioactive (in other words no advantage over fission).