I’m looking at the outside view argument: matter is stable so we don’t expect to get anything nuclear.
But we look at the sun and see a power source with light atoms fusing to make medium weight ones. We already know about the radioactive decay of heavy atoms, and the interesting new twist is the fission of heavy atoms resulting in medium weight atoms and lots of energy. We know that it is medium weight atoms that are most stable, there is surplus energy to be had both from light atoms and heavy atoms. Can we actually do it with heavy atoms? It works elsewhere with light atoms, but that’s different. We basically know that it is up for grabs and it is time to go to the laboratory and find out.
I fear that I have outed myself with my tragic spelling error. People will be able to guess that I’m a fan of Mr Spock from the planet Vulcan ;-(
I’m looking at the outside view argument: matter is stable so we don’t expect to get anything nuclear.
But we look at the sun and see a power source with light atoms fusing to make medium weight ones. We already know about the radioactive decay of heavy atoms, and the interesting new twist is the fission of heavy atoms resulting in medium weight atoms and lots of energy. We know that it is medium weight atoms that are most stable, there is surplus energy to be had both from light atoms and heavy atoms. Can we actually do it with heavy atoms? It works elsewhere with light atoms, but that’s different. We basically know that it is up for grabs and it is time to go to the laboratory and find out.
I fear that I have outed myself with my tragic spelling error. People will be able to guess that I’m a fan of Mr Spock from the planet Vulcan ;-(