We may not need any stinking oil after all..

[mr715]

18. No, that is thermodynamics.

Fusion is one of the most efficient energetic events, but it requires extremely high initiation energy. Basically, you need to overcome electromagnetic (i.e. chemistry) repulsion to harvest strong nuclear (i.e. physical) potential.

Historically, we could do this in an uncontrolled fashion by using the x-ray and neutron flux in an atom bomb to initiate fusion in deuterium and tritium to make a hydrogen/fusion explosion. Usually about 10-100x more energy than fission per unit of mass.

Now we can has controlled fusion, but the amount of energy it takes to shield the reaction vessels from being vaporized eats up all the excess energy produced. Basically, you cannot get 100% useful energy from any source. Some of it is always going to be wasted.

And yes, we are getting better at initiating fusion reactions and shielding reactors using lasers and strong magnetic shielding, but these eat up energy also so the dream of cold, controlled fusion still isn't here.

We may get it some day, but even still, not 100% efficient. Just extremely energetic and relies on a resource (water) we have in abundance.