Fusion power on the horizon

 Lockheed has unveiled a plan to develop a compact, magnetic fusion device in less than a decade. The team believe they have found a new way of squeezing atoms together so they fuse and generate energy, in a small-scale magnetic device.They argue that their device, which would fit on the back of a truck, could produce 100 megawatts (MW) of power and use just 25kg of fuel in a year.

Our current method of getting energy from atoms involves splitting molecules, a difficult and dangerous operation that creates large amounts of radiation, and leaves behind significant quantities of radioactive waste. Fusion is a much neater idea - atoms are jammed together to release huge amounts of energy, with no danger of accidents or proliferating weapons.

The unfortunate aspect of this possible innovation is again capitalism and competition.

"It might be that they have some good ideas, but partly because they are doing it commercially they are not going to tell us, so it can't be subject to the normal scientific peer review. If they do have some innovative ideas they'd be fools to tell us." said Prof Steve Cowley director of Iter, a collaborative global experiment, also aspiring to develop fusion power.

The really foolish thing is keeping secret a way of saving the planet and not enlisting the help from the expertise of many others. But that is capitalism for you.