UK joins laser nuclear fusion project

If fusion ever becomes feasible they should drop the word "nuclear". Given the current level of fear around nuclear power the possibility of people exploiting the naming similarity is worrying.

I thought the claim of NIF was for fusion research was just a huge front for nuclear weapons research?<p>Isn't that well documented at this point?

Which AWE are they talking about? I suspect it's this one:<p><a href="http://www.awe.co.uk/" rel="nofollow">http://www.awe.co.uk/</a><p>I suppose it's a good thing to have them diversifying away from their main product lines!

This is promising news. I wonder, though, what is the energy cost of extracting Deuterium and Tritium, which for sure is not null, and if in the balance they are already counting that and the conversion efficiency of the heat generated by the reaction.

Tritium isn't exactly easy to come by, yet the reactor would require approx 1 million "pellets" per day to keep alive? If they do reach ignition how do they intend on sustaining the reaction with so little fuel available?

A physics prof of mine used to say "fusion power is twenty years away, and always has been."<p>This article doesn't seem to do much to change that perception, can anyone else shed light on the current likelihood of a sustained, surplus-generating reaction?