Development of Tiny Thorium Reactors Could Wean the World Off Oil In Just Five Years

Interesting, but it won't happen.

I'd like to point out that the Senate just blocked an investigation into BP. Any funding that would try to get pushed through for this would get blocked.

Nothing happens on Obama's watch. No stem cell research, no nuclear plants, no homeowners bailout (that's real), no nothing. A do nothing president.

@Sjak

You have no idea how infuriating that statement is; because you are totally correct. I don't really know if this is true but I would not be surprised if a large portion of the senate have lucrative connections with the oil industry. Therefore they will block anything that could harm said industry; just so their pockets can get a little deeper.

The reality is that most politicians are thinking more and more about themselves and less and less about the bigger picture.

Sounds like a wonder material.I partially agree with SJak about blocked funding. I also wonder how long it will take for someone to find that a waste product from the process actually causes E coli to mutate into a super bug, or some other crazy deadly nonsense.

The negative out look of the US people, is whats killing me. I'm sure if a power company offered people the chance to donate money to research and skip the government it would work but what do I know. I just talk with people and they would be for that. Since it would be beneficial to the people in the long run.

I'm not seeing the 5 year goal as at all realizable. The labor alone would take that. They don't even have a functioning prototype.

You know, I really don't buy this.

It's real nice that a British newspaper is harping on us to spend 1.8 billion dollars on a theoretical project.

I'm sure that it has nothing to do with trying to shift the blame away from their own country for what just happened.

I'm not saying it's the brit's fault but, they sure do seem hostile to any notion that it was.

And what happens when we spend 1.8 billion and it turns out just like Fusion ie: always just around the corner but, never quite there.

Thorium dioxide have been used in the Welsbach mantles for portable gas lanterns for over 100 years. It emits alpha particles so it isn't harmful to humans if they don't breath it however if it gets in your lungs then you have a problem...

Ron Bennett

@Soroshi

It is 100% true. The House passed the legislature for the investigation with an astonishingly almost unanimous vote (all ya, and only one nay). Then it hit the Senate and got smacked down almost instantly.

@Soroshi
Its not about $$ for those people, they have plenty, its why they spend it getting elected, its about power and making other people do what they want. If it was about $$ the world would be a much nicer place.

Just two years ago the White House was in the hands of two oil men with very large investments in oil - In your face corruption.
I saw this thorium reactor information two years ago and thought it was a good idea then. It still looks good to me, but we can't leave this up to the market forces. I heard the head of our energy department say that just updating the electric grid will take two to three generations - because, I studied on and found out that the job is in the hands of the current utilities which with stretch the job of transitioning out as long as possible to better their own financial take.
It's like watching a train wreck in slow motion. We know oil is getting tighter every day and our economy is dependent on it. We know that one nuke tossed into one of the big oil fields in the middle east will throw the world economy into a rapid fall and we don't do anything! Not even the Dems. Do we all have to walk on Washington to get real change?

If you really think about it, 1.8 Billion is not that much for a theoretical technology. The Manhattan project was over $2 billion in the 1940's! That would be over $20 billion in today dollars. Thorium is an abundant element and has alot of practical uses. To me I wouldn't pitch it as a technology to ween us off of oil, it seems every time we do that the idea never takes foot. Pitch it as a clean fuel source to complement our other clean energy technologies. Once this has its foot in the door, work on getting rid of oil.

Would there be any negative side affects should I require to implant one in my chest...?

@gizmowiz,
Perhaps you're not clear on how the system works in the United States. The president of the country is not a dictator, or a king, or an emperor. He is an elected official with powers that are kept in check by the legislative body, which is also elected (though they are overtly funded by big businesses). He can't make any pet projects happen by his will alone.

Right now this president, unlike the previous one, is sitting on a terrible economy, two ridiculous wars, constituents that are distrustful of any government (after the last one who preyed on their fears), states that are completely broke, and a legislative branch full of people who don't want to see the boat rocked (again, funded by business). Even the democrats that supported his election removed their support the moment he was in office.

How easy is it to get things done when the people that everything has to go through are too busy trying to actively oppose you for no other reason than to oppose you (conservatives are backing flippant waste and attacking a health plan just like one they supported a decade ago?) or are too scared of sticking their necks out to try anything new (democrats in general)?

A new president is not a magic bullet. They have to fight with a system that above all doesn't want change in that system.

What a ridicules statement "Development of Tiny Thorium Reactors Could Wean the World Off Oil In Just Five Years". And the very fact that is was stated implies that the person stating it is so out of touch with reality by being an egghead or just having no clue about the world at all.

Even if today you had working model of this, and if you had everyone in the world willing to give up the money/power of the current system based on oil, you still couldn't convert over the existing system in 5 years.

And you have none of this. All you have is a theory that it "should work" and of course another country should do it. Why should the US do it and not the UK? Is it because you believe that the US has smarter people that can figure it out when the UK can't? Is it because the US uses oil and the UK doesn't? Most likely people would think it is because UK doesn't have the money and the US does? How much is this going to cost? A trillion dollars? Less? It better be a lot less because to get a billion out of a government is going to take quite a bit of conniving/time. You should see the article on the 3.4 billion spent on rebuilding New Orleans, that just now is actually getting to the "building" stage for the most part, and that is for money allocated 4 or so years ago. That is what government funding really looks like.

And for all the oil company bashing people. You should listen to what the "oil" companies are saying. The big ones are saying they are now "energy" companies. Why? Because guess who is funding/building the nuclear, and other energy projects? If they can make money out of this they will fund it. And there is nothing I see in this project that says some little upstart company is going to be able to even start let alone compete on such a project.

I also find it interesting that people also missed the fact that the patent for this has already been bought, so that would have to be another big road block to others doing it.

Only about 40% of oil is used for fuel and only a very small fraction of that is used for commercial power plants. The rest is used for a million different products. Thorium reacts will not produce the feed stocks to make those products.

More nuclear power is a good thing, but to say it will completely replace oil any time this century is delusional.

I am growing so weary of oil companies and all the other slick business people raking in more money than they can possibly utilize in their lifetimes... Its a sick progression and it really needs to stop. I would like to advocate that anyone in possession of more the 50 million dollars of personal wealth that doesn't immediately put additional wealth back into thier communities, be put down at their nearest vet's office... You sad disgusting units of human filth. These are the same people that allow people in this country to starve and die from lack of proper nutrition... That complain about people on welfare but do nothing at all to help them become viable members of society.. That have raided and horded resources and society beneficial sciences and technologies to continue raking in more profits off of old and already established garbage tech. Just to get richer. Without care one of its effect on anything but their greedy wallets. The time for revolution is NOW people... Take your world back from these soggy, flabby, bags of meat. Stop buying their garbage when they do anything that isn't in the best interest of furthering our society as a whole. I don't buy at BP anymore or, any of its subsidiary businesses. A oil company from another country damaged my country, cause they used cheap parts???? How can any of you forgive that?

Having a freaking job in this country should be a right not a option. And caring about other people should be our duty not a choice. All the racist separation has to stop. Education needs to be paramount, (particualarly in lower income areas) and a good college education should be free and distributed to each american that has the aptitude to do it. How much forward progression of our species has gone wasted and unused because the talent was never developed due to lack of money for education???? What breakthroughs have we missed cause the brilliant black guy down the street was never taught to use and explore his talents? The guy mowing your yard might have the brilliant mind that could have cured cancer and saved your child. We don't know what is possible and in this system where racism and elitism have shaped our world. We deny the poor of all races the ability to provide meaningful contribution cause they didn't have the cash for school. America is a sick place. And needs a revival. Start with the economic disparity and then we can start working on our sick and oh so broken government, law enforcement and justice departments revamp the system. We are foundering and nobody is saying anything about the real problems. Capitolism had its time. Its time for something better. and don't claim communism/socialism are the only other options... that crap is past its freshness date too... We are supposed to be the best nation in the world. So why are so many suffering and going without when some are skating by with no effect. Time to make a change people... Stand up and be counted. You matter!!! The wealthy don't... not anymore. Lets vote for the guy that isn't a millionaire.. Lets move those corporate senators and congressmen off the hill and back to their villa's (or to the nearest vets office) Lets get some people in office that have our interests in mind not the interests of some country club douchebag that does all his business on a golf course while we are propping up their factories with our sweat and blood... and if you find a company has moved its production out of this country to save a buck but still wants your money!!! Dont buy from them again. Right Caterpillar tractor company?! Grow up people you can make a difference! get off your ass!

kb696 they are called sociopaths and they have no moral conscious and one of president Regan's former economic advisors said that we should take a close look at the CEOs and CFOs in the financial markets because the sociopaths have collected up there. The next time you hear "bleeding heart" followed by anything take a good look at the one using that term because that one is most likely a sociopath. That Mr. Beck said that the big problem in the world is "empathy." He is most likely a sociopath.
The article was about thorium reactors which are good things and should be used, but it's also good to vent especially these days. Maybe we should learn how to detect sociopaths at young ages.

@kb696 gtfo you worst kind of communist
Also peole like Gates, Buffett, Rockefeller... are great but I far prefer the Musks, Bigelows, Bransons and Carmacks as being true saviors of humanity.

If you give someone something they did not earn they will unavoidably use it to destroy themselves.

[Satire]
Lets get some people in office that have our interests in mind not the interests of some octomom douchebag that all her substance from government assistance while we are propping up the tax base with our sweat and blood!!! Don't pay for people to have kids as a form business. Grow up people you can make a difference! get off your ass! We are supposed to be the best nation in the world. So why are so many suffering and going without when some are skating by with no effort. Time to make a change people... Stand up and be counted. You matter!!! The useless don't... not anymore. Lets vote for the guy that isn't buying votes by helping freeloaders. Lets put someone with the power to instigate euthanasia.
[/Satire]

We live in a land of plenty, if you compare people living under the poverty level in the states to the Chinese middle class we are all kings. There is enough credit that anyone can get a student loan and educate themselves but there will always be people too lazy to better their circumstance and want to leach off sociality.

The Democrats buy votes from the lower classes with 'government assistance' programs. The Republicans buy votes from the upper classes with favorable tax breaks. Nobody represents my interests. (-_-')

perfect! I needed a nuclear reactor for-... some stuff. You can go about your business -waves hand- move along.
Also:http://xkcd.com/678/

@ gizmowiz

Really? A "do nothing" president? How about the health care reform? That's called "do nothing"? How about the troops being pulled out of Iraq? That's called "do nothing"? The stem cell research stopped because a federal judge put a stop to it...not Obama.

Obama isn't some dictator with absolute power...he signed an executive order that reversed some of what Bush did with the stem cell, but the judge ruled it unconstitutional since it went against Federal law and those labs working on stem cells could lose federal funding. How is any of that Obama's fault? He can't unmake a law...he's the President, not Congress.

You obviously have no idea how America works...but go ahead, you voice your opinion even though you haven't a clue as to how anything works or who is responsible for what.

@rpenri
healthcare reform- done against the will of the populous
troops out of iraq- empty promise, come 2020 we'll still be there.
pick better examples. Presidents shouldn't have much real power anyway, they're usually (and should be) at the mercy of congress.

It really doesn't matter if your a dem or repub, you can still be bought. Repubs are oil guys? So are dems. Why are progressives pushing massive islamic immigration in europe, pushing the ground zero mosque despite all the hard feelings it will cause? Dirty Dirty oil money and lots of it. Lots and lots of it.

See how many greedy millionaires and billionaires are socialist or communists. Greed isn't created by capitalism, it comes out of people and no political idealogy will ever change that. Communism just lets you have no choice what the bought and paid for gov. rule makers do.

Obama is sitting on over 400 billion dollars in "stimulus" money. What is he doing with it, who knows. But perhaps he can be convinced to dip into his private stash and finance this research. To do something that won't push a one world progressive communist agenda. Rather for once do something that will help America. >400 billion dollars isn't chump change after all. And this ain't some third world country where the leader gets to take all they want.

@gizmowiz Yes because Obama was the Republican Federal judge who banned it. Gizmowiz, if you're too stupid to say anything intelligent, don't say anything at all.

One thing is certain:

So long as there is a single dollar left to be wrung out of oil, those who are doing the wringing will use their weight to ensure that they continue to wring out the dollars.

Every dollar wrung from another energy source is a dollar not wrung from oil.

The 800 lb gorilla will prevail until it starves ... and takes us to the brink with it.

Given the important things that can be made from oil, it seems a bit short-sighted -- shall I say "stupid"? -- to burn it.

If I were a billionaire like Bill Gates, I would privately fund this project in an instant. I have lost almost all confidence in Washington to do what needs to be done based on that last decade. Cutting funding to NASA, the BP Oil spill debacle, and the stem cell mess are only the latest things to confirm my feelings.

For cry out loud the US used to be the leader and now it come down to other countries telling us what we need to do in the way of technological advances.

I say fund the research, kick our oil addiction, and if we're struggling for money after that we can just sell our oil to China.

This seems like a no-brainer, now let's wait and see if Obama has a brain.

Simple solution to funding would be to offer tax credits to the private sector for development and implementation. Government in general is too slow and burdensome to get anything done efficiently, remove the politicians and watch how quick things move forward.

The original article is very strange - the technology is obviously interesting but I'm not sure what it has to do with Obama (the Telegraph is a right wing newspaper and clearly has a political agenda).
The same point could be applied to virtually any technology (fiber to the home is an obvious one, or even solar power). I would suggest most of the problems of the world could be solved in 5 years with the right will and money.
Why doesn't Obama solve all our problems !

@ Dustin2127

Are you an idiot? Health care reform is what he pledged to do before he became the President...people voted for him because of his promise to fix the health care system...it may be difficult for you to understand this, but Obama actually fulfilled a promise he made when running, something politicians often don't do too often.

Maybe, you're used to voting for Republicans who promise one thing yet never deliver on it...yet run frightened when it's actually accomplished.

Also...speak for yourself. Plenty of people welcome the change in the health care system, like me.

Troops levels in Iraq are below 50,000 since the beginning of the war. And its not like they're patrolling the streets of Iraq either. As long as they're not being shot at or being blown up by IEDs, what does it matter where they are? We've still got troops in Japan and Germany even 50+ years after the end of WW2. The forced withdrawal is forcing the Iraqis to stand up while we stand down. Just like he promised.

Also...your comment on Presidents having power is very uneducated. The President should have all the power he needs to do his job...there are, after all, checks and balances built into the system to prevent him from becoming a total dictator. Congress being all-powerful is just as bad as an all-powerful President.

It still amazes me how simple people like you really are. Things aren't just black and white...you expect a miracle worker? Jesus, maybe? Obama's slogan is "yes we can"...but only if the "we" work together to improve and if Republicans aren't too busy trying to shoot down every proposal regardless of its individual merits.

Staying away from any comments relating to:
1) Politicians
2) Corporations
3) Rich people
4) Poor people
5) Any other highly-charged topic not directly related to science

Anytime people hear the words "nuclear power plant" in conjunction with "backyard", they freak like it is the end of the world.

They only recall 3-mile Island and Chernobyl, yet do not realize that we have had reactors running safely for decades (in the US, on Naval ships and in other countries).

Getting over that fear would be the first step...
Then, we can tackle the others.

@ KH2

I'm probably harping on to the wrong crowd here, but your anti-British rhetoric regarding this article being used to avert attention from the oil slick disaster is frankly shocking. It amuses me how so many people like yourself comment on articles such as this without a single clue to the actual facts at hand. It does nothing for the image (which no doubt you care nothing for) of your nation in the outside world.

BP hasn't been called British Petroleum for nearly 11 years now, this was mainly due to the fact that 40% of the company was and still is owned by your fellow Americans and the rest is mostly Russian.

Obamas repeated use of the words British Petroleum (his aids say he only said this so he could relate to under-educated Americans such as yourself) was nothing but a pure diversion technique from your own governments failings.

In England we have this GOVERNMENTAL body set up called the Health & Safety Executive. Method statements and risk assessments are completed and checked for every operation that is carried out. These statements have to be sent to this GOVERNING body for checking. Checks would be carried out, if any of the items to be used in the process are faulty, then these items would have to be fixed to the satisfaction of the GOVERNMENT.

If a catastrophe occurred, as it did in the USA then all health and safety information would be checked by the GOVERNMENT to pin-point the area of failing. Then blame can be apportioned to the person and/or company at fault. If clear blame can be associated through negligence (depending on the seriousness of the situation), then this person and their company would be liable for the fault. If someone one dies as a result, then the MD of the company can be held accountable for corporate manslaughter for not sticking to / forging / short-cutting the GOVERNMENTS checks and system.

Now in the USA you can remove all the words that say GOVERNMENT above and replace them with OIL COMPANY. Besides the fact the company contracted to carry out the work was American (which is largely ignored), all the systems and checks are being done by the oil companies. BP is a large multinational public ltd company that has shareholders to account to all over the world. Use your brains for one minuet and try and work out why BP cut corners? They are about making money, not health and safety, the two should NEVER be combined (something your GOVERNMENT fails to understand on many levels).

Admittedly BP's handing of the disaster has been shocking, but what else would you expect, they are the same as any other PLC when it comes to shocking practice for a quick buck. Its up to your GOVERNMENT to control this at any cost, or these problems will keep happening over an over again in the name of profits.

Also the article above relates to an article in the Independent newspaper, which prides itself on being what it says on the tin INDEPENDENT. Any hint at a governmental motive within the articles are clearly exposed in the comments section by highly educated people. Articles in this paper do not represent the British populous or government in any way shape or form. Perhaps you should read the article yourself, before making profoundly ignorant and offensive statements, that to be honest I have now come to expect from your average American. (I bet you think Obamas a Muslim as well). You are not conforming to Darwin's theory of evolution fool.

how come we're only just hearing about thorium now? When i read "Thorium" i thought it was a new element for a second; i literally checked the periodic table to make sure Th was really #90 and popsci didnt screw up again.

if thorium is abundant, energy-efficient, and economical, someone somewhere (Aker Solutions) will find a way to make a s***ton of money off it. screw the politicians. i like obama though

This article refers to a new untested version of a thorium reactor. The reactor that you should be looking at is a type of thorium reactor called an LFTR (Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactor) which is in a class called a Molten Salt reactor that is unlike any of the existing plants in the world. It was tested successfully back in the 1960's under the leadership of Alvin Weinberg. He'll be widely celebrated one day. This technology is too amazing to ignore. The French and Japanese want to do something with it and the US is mulling over it finally.

Check out this blog on thorium energy.... very interesting stuff.

www.energyfromthorium.com

Politics and commerce is a constant encumbrance for most things progressive. The ongoing lobbying machinery is the highest form of corruption, and should be treated as such.

The more I read POPSCI, the more I'm convinced that it has very little to do with scientific reality.

According to this site:

www.ecoleaf.com/green_energy/petroleumgaspowerplants.html

"Only 1% of petroleum is used to generate electricity" in the U.S.A.

So, how in the hell will converting every power plant in this country wean us off oil? Whether it takes 5 years or 50 years, Thorium is not going to replace gasoline, or diesel, or jet fuel, etc.

PopSci is crap tabloid drivel in the guise of a science magazine.

Phooey!

I can see the cartoons now an oil Derek is drilling into a Thorium power plant and taking the electricity

""Only 1% of petroleum is used to generate electricity" in the U.S.A. So, how in the hell will converting every power plant in this country wean us off oil?"

Fun with figures. I like this kind of thinking. 1% of power plants are using oil. 1% is small. Therefore this couldn't affect our dependence on oil.

Now, go Google this: How much of our oil consumption is represented by what we use pushing our cars down the road? Do you have any idea what percentage of that consumption actually goes to simply moving your butt from one place to another and how much is utterly wasted?

Let's just limit ourselves to that one use of oil for now. Personal transport. (But when we are done, your homework assignment will be to think about other ways we are using oil for power and apply the following to them.)

Think about replacing petroleum-powered cars with electrically powered ones.

Of course, that electricity has to be generated somehow. Right now, electric cars are not really as efficient and "green" as some would have us believe. Those electrical vehicles only push the consumption of petrochemical resources back one step. The oil and coal are still being burned -- at the power plants.

Thorium Reactor enters, stage right. Actually, many, many Thorium Reactors enter, stage right.

Are we burning oil at the plant? Not any more. Are we burning it in our cars? Not any more.

This is, of course, predicated on the assumption that we can actually generate an amount of power requisite for our needs. That may or may not come to pass. It is certainly worth a try, however.

If we hadn't been so cavalier about nuclear power at one time, perhaps public opinion about what can and should always have been a safe source of power (throwing away spent fuel rods and worrying about where we are putting them could be mitigated substantially by reprocessing that would allow the materials to be used several times in different applications).

Something like an interconnected network of hundreds or thousands of small thorium reactors, if such a system could be made to operate effectively, would be fantastic. The power could be generated close to where it is used, rather than being transmitted along lengthy power lines with their inefficiencies. Power grids could be reduced to finely grained interconnected nodes. The failure of a single plant would not precipitate the sorts of havoc it does now.

And the amount of fissile material at any one of the plants would reduce security risks. Hard to break in to 600 different sites in one night to gather a duffel bag full of bomb fuel.

Ah.

Back to the point: We wouldn't be burning oil in our cars. That is how we reduce our dependence on oil.

I don't advocate the use of electrically powered commercial aircraft, so we'll have to tough that one out.

You with me here on this, or should I type slower next time?

@KH2:

The difference between LFTR and fusion is pretty wide.

Fusion is difficult; it's essentially the tiniest game of mini-golf, played billions of times a second. You have to push a pair of charged particles together past a force gradient that's equivalent to putting a golf ball up a stack of mount everests.

LFTR on the other hand is simply a breeder; you just have to get a neutron next to a thorium atom for absorbtion, let it decay to uranium, and let it happen again, resulting in 2-3 new neutrons. As long as the neutron economy is well managed, it's fundamentally easy to do.

In fact, the prototype for LFTR - Oak Ridge's Molten Salt Reactor Experiment - demonstrated that all of the concepts behind LFTR are not only sound, but practical.

Unlike fusion, where we've yet to meet the challenge of a profitable reaction, that's already done in LFTR. The main challenges are in materials and chemical processing.

In the MSRE, the graphite elements swelled, then shrunk, futzing with the system's reactivity in unexpected ways. That's the materials challenge: to use a moderator that either will not distort, or one that can be dissolved in the fuel and blanket salts.

The other challenge - chemical processing - is simply the problem of figuring out how to remove the fission products while the reactor is online (at present, the design requires the fuel stream be drained - shutting the reactor down - and processed at a separate plant).

These are both challenges that engineers are confident can be met - they just need funding to actually do the job.

you can't go from an oil infrastructure to a nuclear in 5 years. in this financial environment we probably can't do it 20 years. the r&d might cost $1.8 billion, but the infrastructure changes would cost trillions. here in the us we have 40 million on food stamps, huge unemployment, insolvent banks, tons of foreclosures, never ending wars, where are we going to get trillions? the problem with technology types are that they live in a vacuum. they see technological solutions everywhere, failing to see how they could fit in the real world. i can't see this ever replacing fossil fuels. in addition we would we need huge amounts of oil to enable this transformation.

@ Kennyds

The difference between a nuclear infrastructure and a hydrogen one is that the nuclear one is feasible, it's already there. Barring building more plants, there's not really anything to build. To build a hydrogen-based grid, there's a lot of engineering that has to happen first and not just making hydrogen power output more energy than it takes, as electrolysis requires far too much energy as-is.

As for the whole "bawww this won't happen with Obama".

Gee, when someone promises you the Moon, it almost seems it's more likely that it's more likely they're BSing you than making actual promises of anything they plan on doing. Good job voting in a guy who managed to work up a social agenda in less more and adds more to the debt in two years that costs more than eight years of an entire war. Awesome.

Google this: How many vehicles are there in the USA?

Answer: There are approximately 251 million vehicles in the USA.

Should not the emphasis be on finding new energy technologies to "move our butts" from place to place? Especially since personal transportation accounts for 72% of our oil consumption. Current battery technology is certainly not the answer. I live in an apartment in an area where the average distance between my apartment and where I can usually find a parking spot is about a quarter of a mile -- not counting several stories in height -- that sure is a long extension cord to run out of my window. Sure, they'll eventually figure out how to speed up the charging time at the recharge stations. In the mean time, we wait for the soccer mom ahead of us to charge up the large batteries in her SUV for that long trip back from the semi-finals. I don't think this battery charging problem can be solved in a 5 year time frame.

Still think electric cars are a good idea? I don't totally disagree. But, within the context of this PopSci article: How long will it take to convert the power plants in 251 million vehicles from oil to electricity? How much will that cost car owners? Does anyone think that we can do it in 5 years like this ridiculous article claims?

So, the argument that converting the 1% of the petroleum fueled power plants in the US to Thorium will somehow spur or incentivize us to convert our 251 million cars to run on electricity, (not to mention spend the money), in as little as 5 years is delusional.

The Wynn hotel in Vegas cost 2.7 billion to construct. Why can't some rich guy pay for all this? They throw the money around on these fancy hotels but nobody wants to spend a dime on something important? Asking the govt. to do it is a joke.

Behold, whiny sick bored fat brat america shows its true colors.

@kb696

"These are the same people that allow people in this country to starve and die from lack of proper nutrition... That complain about people on welfare but do nothing at all to help them become viable members of society.. "

You are a complete imbecile. Do you actually think multimillionaires care about the people on welfare? Or if they do they complain about it instead of helping? No. It is the lower middle and middle class that work their hands to the bone every day that envy the people that are able to live off of the welfare system without having to put in the effort required of everyone else who makes a living working. You wonder why people complain, it is because these people are not working to help themselves either. It's more advantageous for someone to bring home 60% of what they used to make than it is for them to go out and get a job paying less than they were accustomed to. That is just the people that use unemployment welfare, that is not even discussing the people, white, black, or any color for that matter that abuse the welfare system by pumping out babies and living off the "handouts" that are other people's income tax. You socialist bastard...grow up and start using some common sense.

I feel in my opinion That anything in that potential of energy ought to be studied first. Howveer I just hope the Big Oil & gas companies do not block this type of energy They did this when typical American invented a car that gives 50 to 85 mpg They just sold him out He was trying to encourage others in Automoblie manufactures, that we can make more fuel enconmy in all vehicles Yet Having a consumer choice is becoming more and more national & state Political battle. The more people write or call thier Senators, Congressman, and State Assemblyman. I'm sure and hope, they listen or read.

Without getting into the tiresome argument about whether Obama is a god, Beck is the Anti-Christ, and the patently absurd notion that everyone would just give up profit and privilege if we just elected the right people, There is a fact which seems to be being overlooked.

The product of a Thorium reactor is U-233, a fissile material.

Assuming that the population of the world is not going to suddenly stricken with feelings of love and empathy for each other; how long do you think it would take someone to assemble enough to build a weapon?

Violence must be eradicated; Kill all the violent people you know!!

According to wikipedia (search: V-22 Osprey) the ... V22 Osprey program had cost $27billion as of 2008. I'd read not long ago in The Economist that it had just passed $34billion. We use our weapons to fight in areas with oil. This replaces oil. Military spenders will not be happy. It will not happen. Cost is not a problem (read: the osprey program is unnecessary and kills its own crew).
Thorium MAY happen, private funding, and in such a way that, even if it was proven to work, any country who tried to adapt the technology would be shut down. Example, Iceland's economy relative to going energy independent.

I hope the people and leaders of this world will see that the energy problem is not about energy anymore! A fact this magazine known for years.

@ QIII

You really didn't make any sense in that response. The person you were addressing said nothing about vehicles, therefore they are not part of the equation. Now if you stated a fact, such as cars use 3% of the fuel used in the U.S. (not an actual fact, I have no idea), then the 1% energy companies use would seem bigger. However, Thorium would not help us break our dependency on fossil fuel consumption by vehicles. So..... you really didn't make a point. And to the people who are mad at the government for not investigating BP, stop being conspiracy theorists. Shit happens. They made a mistake and spilled some oil. It just happened to be a shit ton of it. They're paying for it so get over your righteous selves. Nothing worth anything would exist in this country or any other without fossil fuel. It impacts every business on earth because its cheap, abundant, and efficient. It powers our way of life. If we suddenly just stopped using fossil fuels every economy on earth would collapse. Think people geez.

When the Chinese jump on this first, then we'll do it. Sigh.

Very interesting comments. We have an adverse ideology participating here.

If someone didn't take the gamble with time and money in developing the PC, none of us would be here. Pause and think about that.

No government funding or regulations involved. Inventions throughout time have proven that a capitalistic society works.

I can purchase a system with solar panels, inverter and batteries for my house that "could" produce enough electricity to power my house and sell some back to the utility company.

If this technology is developed and made to be installed onsite at a business or house, the government would have no control of it. Now, a method of disposing of any waste by-product will have to be in place. Safe and enviromentally friendly of course.

Think of this: Being the one that designs a power source for homes and businesses in a unit that is much like the air conditioning unit we all have. No centralized power companies. No mass power outages. For those of you that like battery powered cars, you will produce the electricity to power them.

You say job losses. Who installs these units? Who repairs them? Who manufactures them? Who deals with the waste by-products? These issues create jobs and businesses. Electricity will still be generated. That is not an unfamiliar technology to us.

Throughout this topic everyone had a complaint about how the government would interfere with this new technology. Why not put the same effort in thinking of ways to get through the obstacles for success? Instead of devoting your time and energy finding the reasons it won't work, offer solutions.

Here is a solution even better than the thorium reactors.

No carbon or radio-active waste is generated. The fuel is very abundant, it is Heavy Ion Fusion. It is not magnetic confinement fusion nor is it laser fusion, so does not have those problems. It was vetted in Germany in 1998 and was recommended to be built but was never funded. Now is the time for private industry to move ahead with the technology that was first demonstrated in 1952!

The private concept was just presented at the 18th HIF Symposium in Germany on Friday, Sept. 3rd, 2010. Physics Today is expected to publish a letter on the topic in the October issue as a follow-up letter to the one published in the June 2010 issue (pg59)- "Practical, near-term fusion power".

Check it out as there is to much to discuss here. Visit: www.fusionpowercorporation.com - See for yourself.

Admittedly the title of this article is pretty silly (5yrs? wean?! lol!) obviously the fossil fuel nuclear would replace is coal. More importantly I don't believe the article does this topic justice at all. While I am convinced that thorium can make an important contribution to nuclear energy, the real promise of it was completely missed by the article: the molten salt reactor that was investigated at Oak Ridge National Laboratory from 1951 to 1976. The current version of this incredible reactor is LFTR (pronounced lifter). See energyfromthorium.com. The biggest impediment to expanding nuclear power is the waste that is piling up at reactors all over the country. The absolutely incredible thing about LFTR is it not only eats it's own wastes, it will eat the wastes from the conventional reactors as well! And it does it in a way that is simpler (cheaper) and safer than the conventional reactors! Think about it. By bringing back an old (well researched) technology from the 50's, we can not only tap into a whole new source of energy, thorium, but eliminate the nuclear waste problem. And recover the energy stored in that waste! Oh and did I mention that the heat from the reactor can produce electricity more efficiently (Brayton cycle) than conventional reactors?

If you are new to thorium and LFTR go to youtube and search for LFTR and the thoriumalliance channel. There are several hours of video that will blow your mind. Then read some of the articles linked and energyfromthorium.com and check out the forum.

was a beautiful sharing. I think reasonable and appropriate.
http://cizgifilm1.blogspot.com

This is a great idea, but will probably never get funded. Welcome to capitalism.

If you control the energy supply you control them. This is what all governments know and what we all ignore. All of you who have a great idea never consider our history of population control. I'm talking about the worlds history, and it's pretty obvious. The only reason we are all having this conversation is because we want to live like kings and be served as if we manage a kingdom. It is the power not the money that consumes politicians,and they know the more cash they can get the more power they'll assume. So there's another source of energy out there- Whoopty-Doo!!! It doesn't change a thing in our lives but now we have something else we can exploit each other with. It gives me great peace to know when I die I will be free from all this power struggle, oh dang i guess not , religion took that from me too.

There is no peace, only balance,
Sincerley,
Son Of Atoms

you guys bring up some interesting points and possibilities, contact me so we xan talk about them more.

Rpenri says,

"Health care reform is what he pledged to do before he became the President...people voted for him because of his promise to fix the health care system..."

No, people voted for the O because he was a cypher calling for ephmeral 'change'. They had no understanding that what he was forcing through was a fiscal package of massive debt and spending that will cost trillions and lead to the destruction of most private insurance and a deeper recession.

"The forced withdrawal is forcing the Iraqis to stand up while we stand down. Just like he promised."

lol, the change was only possible because of the surge strategy implemented by President Bush. A point the O is still too churlish to publicy acknowledge. You sound like a little Obamabot spitting out the MSNBC 'dialogue'. It's obviously impossible to have a rational discussion with you.

here's my comment

For the sake of nature, humanity and the you may call god. When does this press here take on account the related corners to science development such as sustainability, economic piracy and world peace??????????????? Are you going to loose valuable advertisers and incomes if you stand up with us or may it be a joy for you to observe silly people fighting with senseful integral people on each and every issue of essencial importance to our globe??????

Whatever theory may darken writers brain but again a hallelujah for limited resources and the usual business wheel of a class of people we do not want nor allowe anymore in this world! Whats wrong with you? Promote FREE and sustainable energy made out of water, air, thunderlightnings or even earths rotation power if you really care for science and humanity, would you. Promoting industrial science always related to capital play strategies by nature shows a lot about you. Change this, because we need this human world to be changed ASAP.

The situation aint like it is, the situation is as you allow it be. May everybody understand this little detail, please.
Our understanding on energy has improved a lot while the last 5 decades and we do discover energy sources from bio levels up to violent expolosions of any made or natural nature but moreover we have discovered endless and free sources nobody wishes to serve by the loss of business and cooporated power play! Thast the only scientific truth around!

Thanks a lot everybody for very valuable comments.

@Burnette

Perhaps I should type more slowly next time...

@ masaman

Where did you learn economics? The Progressive School of Envy and Misinformation?

If what they claim for thorium is true, this could be worth hundreds of billions of dollars, right?

Real capitalists, seeking profit and (especially in a case like this) benefiting mankind in the process . . . you wouldn't be able to keep them from investing in this if you had an commandment from God, a fatwa from Mohammad, and an executive order from the President.

purfus wrote: "I'm not seeing the 5 year goal as at all realizable. The labor alone would take that. They don't even have a functioning prototype."

This is actually not true at all.
From: www.pebblebedreactor.blogspot.com

"The liquid fluoride thorium reactor is another advanced nuclear power source, even more promising than the pebble bed reactor. The LFTR uses inexpensive thorium as a fuel, transforming it to uranium-233 which fissions, producing heat and electric power at a cost less than that from coal power plants.

Thorium and uranium are dissolved in molten salt, simplifying fueling and waste removal compared to today's nuclear power plants. Prototype molten salt reactors were developed and tested by the US at Oak Ridge National Laboratories in the 1960s and 1970s."

And I have read about other Thorium reactor tests in various other countries. Thorium was studied and considered quite seriously at the beginning of US investigations leading to the Manhattan Project. Te famous physicist, Eugene Wigner strongly favored the Thorium->U233 fuel cycle, over the U238->Plutonium cycle. And the main reason the Plutonium cycle won out, was that during WWII it was seen as a much better cycle for producing nuclear bomb materials (a huge disadvantage today).

Thorium is 3 to 4 times more plentiful the Uranium, it can be burned completely, there are no Thorium isotope separation difficulties since it's all Thorium-232 (unlike the two naturally occurring Uranium isotopes U235/U238).
The Liquid-Flouride Thorium reactors can operate at normal pressures, and have some very nice built-in safety factors that operate passively (without intervention) like automatic shutdown using a freeze-plug feature. Thorium produces far less radioactive waste than existing plants, and Thorium reactors can easily and usefully burn much of the existing waste we have now. And the USA already has a very large stockpile of refined Thorium in storage, dating back to the early Manhattan Project which it powered one of the two leading designs under consideration.

Imagine a NEW power generators systems that is small, cheap to build, safe to operate, can be used to power homes, business, and transportation, cars, trucks, ships, and even planes and spacecraft!! There is a new technology that can go into production within 1 to 2 years and within 5-10 years replace all need for fossil fuels! Laser Power Systems has been working on thorium based power systems for over 25 years. these systems are not reactors but sub-critical ultra high out put MaxFelasers making them totally green and safe. They are small and light enough to be put in cars. Information is the key.

Laser Power Systems LLC, has developed a revolutionary laser-powered turbine induction generator system (the “MaxFelaser”) that uses Thorium as the primary fuel. The Company’s new application of advanced laser technology releases latent kinetic energy stored in Thorium by lasing a proprietary fuel matrix of Thorium and other rare earth metals to release stored energy in the form of “Heat” and Photonic energy to generated steam driving a hybrid high speed turbine/ induction generator (which has been fully tested to military specs.) to produce electricity in a very scalable and versatile systems at very low cost.

This technology is game changing, ecologically friendly, emissions free and absolutely safe. It will restore US energy leadership and independence. It is also transformational and not a threat to the coal and oil industries because it will empower the conversion of coal and petroleum reserves to higher valued applications such as plastics and carbon fiber.

The Company’s laser power system is scalable (designs range from a 200 kilowatt device to a fully operational multi-megawatt generation plant) and has limitless applications (utility based power stations, commercial and industrial applications, public transportation, water reclamation, among others), is modular (can be widely deployed to various locations across the power-grid as well as to remote areas not currently served), and is cost effective (one ton of T One graham of Thorium has the equivalent stored energy as 20 million grahams of coal or 7,350 gallons of gasoline.

As a storage device, the Company’s system will have an indefinite shelf-life and, once activated, a 200 kilowatt system can operate approximately 5,000 hours before refueling.

The Company has completed the preliminary design of the MaxFelaser and has identified all resources required for construction of a working prototype. In addition, the Company has received assurances that once the working prototype has been tested, there will be immediate commercial and industrial applications for deployment.

The key to how we handle what happens in the future is how we think and educate today. We have the technology to go even further than the mini reactors and there are so many elements in motion to change what we accept today. Most people will just follow along without wanting to know how power is created and some will always just be adverse to change. The tech leaders will show the way. You can either stand with the leaders or you can be led. Think about it.

Thorium has great potential as a source of power. For a very informative website on this potential, check out the website: http://www.laserturbinepower.com/ This small, entrepreneurial company is on the verge of tremendous breakthroughs in using thorium as an energy source. Basically, as the article states, “An abundant metal with vast energy potential could quickly wean the world off oil, if only Western political leaders would muster the will to do it .... “ The technology is here. The time is here. This little company needs some investment capital to accelerate putting their breakthroughs into production.

The New Alternative Energy is Abundant, Safe, Economical and Especially Green Thorium Fuel. The pragmatic approach is decentralized Thorium Energy Power Plants that can be used to provide supplemental or "Off Grid" Electric Power to Industrial/Commercial Buildings and Manufacturing Facilities at a greatly reduced cost. A Thorium Powered Generator designed and manufactured by Laser Power Systems can do just that and more. LPS has the technology that will change the way we Produce and Use Energy. The Process of Investment and Education has begun and this new Realized Power source will be available soon.

LOL@deebirs. sure...

what do you hope to achieve by complaining and arguing with other users on a forum? most of the people on here are short minded communists who think that because a article is talking about power, you can troll about the government, environment and other crap. get a life.

Right now global stocks of stored thorium is at 1,300,000 tonnes, with LFTRs this is enough thorium to power the world at its current rate of energy consumption for around 260 years In 2009 the average value of 1kg of thorium was $122 (it has since gone up to around $300 or so) [source minerals.usgs.gov] and 1kg of thorium is the same as 13,000 barrels of oil in terms of electrical energy for the grid. Thorium when used in a LFTR is very clean with its 1% waste containing bismuth-113 an important currently unused radiotherapy treatment which is good at targeting dispersed cancers (like cancer of the bones for example) and neodymium something that can used for any small generator and magnet based tech (like the generators found on top of wind turbines). All other radioactive waste degrades within a few hundred years rather than a few hundred thousand years. LFTRs can also be used to desalinate water on site and turn unusable water into drinking water. There is no chance of meltdown thanks to its 100% success rate fail safe feature the freeze plug. We can begin mining rare earths in the US if we build LFTRs because then thorium will have a good use and not be a waste product as it is today. Thorium is about 3 times as common in the earths crust as uranium and even found on the moon. We really need this technology.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3rL08J7fDA