Posts by Leo Bjorkegren 3 publicly visible posts • joined 13 May 2006
Uranium is not that scarce or expensive, and breeder reactors can multiply the effective fuel available by many times as long as you're prepared to put up with the costs and risks of reprocessing. The problems with fission reactors are a) the problem of disposal - which still hasn't been settled effectively and b) the association with military use and bomb production. With effective fusion power, a) is less of a problem and b) is no problem at all.
Obvious really - fire a magnetised iron slug through a long coil, say about the length of a rifle barrel. That should give you a high peak current for your laser. Power source for this is pretty much standard already. You then have a weapon that shoots iron slugs AND laser beams. Do I get my $4.5 million now?
In what way is the iron in our bodies not alive? To the best of my knowledge it's an essential part of the haemoglobin contained in every red blood cell. Similarly, calcium is an essential part of the operation of nerve synapses. How are these elements any less 'alive' than hydrogen, oxygen or carbon? In fact, stating that a particular element is 'alive' or not sounds more like a slightly weird variant of vitalism than any sort of scientific opinion
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