Friday, October 30, 2015

Germany is about to start up a monster machine that could revolutionize the way we use energy

Germany is about to start up a monster machine that could revolutionize the way we use energy

For more than 60 years, scientists have dreamed of a clean, inexhaustible energy source in the form of nuclear fusion.
And they're still dreaming.
But thanks to the efforts of the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics, experts hope that might soon change.
Last year, after 1.1 million construction hours, the institute completed the world's largest nuclear-fusion machine of its kind, called a stellarator.
The machine, which has a diameter of 52 feet, is called the W7-X.
And after more than a year of tests, engineers are finally ready to fire up the $1.1 billion machine for the first time. It could happen before the end of this month,Science reported.

The black horse of nuclear reactors

Known in the plasma physics community as the "black horse" of reactors that use nuclear fusion, stellarators are notoriously difficult to build.
The GIF below shows the many different layers of W7-X, which took 19 years to complete:
science
From 2003 to 2007, as the project was being built, it suffered some major construction setbacks — including one of its contracted manufacturers going out of business — that nearly canceled the whole endeavor.
Only a handful of stellarators have been attempted, and even fewer have been completed.
By comparison, the more popular cousin to the stellarator, called a tokamak, is in wider use.Over three dozen tokamaks are operational around the world, and more than 200 have been built throughout history. These machines are easier to construct and, in the past, have performed better as a nuclear reactor than stellarators.
But tokamaks have a major flaw that W7-X is reportedly immune to, suggesting that Germany's latest monster machine could be a game changer.

How a nuclear-fusion reactor works

Tokamak_(scheme)Uploaded by Matthias W Hirsch on WikipediaSchematic of the average tokamak. Notice how it has fewer layers than the stellarator and the shape of the magnetic coils is different.
The key to a successful nuclear-fusion reactor of any kind is to generate, confine, and control a blob of gas, called a plasma, that has been heated to temperatures of more than 180 million degrees Fahrenheit.
At these blazing temperatures, the electrons are ripped from their atoms, forming ions. Under these extreme conditions the repulsive forces, which normally make ions bounce off one another like bumper cars, are overcome.
The ions are therefore able to collide and fuse together, which generates energy, and you have accomplished nuclear fusion. Nuclear fusion is different from what fuels today's nuclear reactors, which operate with energy from atoms that decay, or break apart, instead of fusing together.
Nuclear fusion is the process that has been fueling our sun for about 4.5 billion years and will continue to do so for another estimated 4 billion years.
Once engineers have heated the gas in the reactor to the right temperature, they use super-chilled magnetic coils to generate powerful magnetic fields that contain and control the plasma.
The W7-X, for example, houses 50 six-ton magnetic coils, shown in purple in the GIF below. The plasma is contained within the red coil:

The difference between tokamaks and stellarators

For years, tokamaks have been considered the most promising machine for producing energy in the way the sun does because the configuration of their magnetic coils contains a plasma that is better than that of currently operational stellarators.
stellaratorScience Magazine on YouTubeSchematic of W7-X.
But there's a problem: Tokamaks can control the plasma only in short bursts that last for no more than seven minutes. And the energy necessary to generate that plasma is more than the energy engineers get from these periodic bursts.
Tokamaks thus consume more energy than they produce, which is not what you want from nuclear-fusion reactors, which have been touted as the "most important energy source over the next millennium."
Because of the stellarators' design, experts suspect it could sustain a plasma for at least 30 minutes at a time, which is significantly longer than any tokamak. The French tokamak "Tore Supra" holds the record: Six minutes 30 seconds.
If W7-X succeeds, it could turn the nuclear-fusion community on its head and launch stellarators into the limelight.
"The world is waiting to see if we get the confinement time and then hold it for a long pulse," David Gates, the head of stellarator physics at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, toldScience.
Check out this awesome time-lapse video of the construction of W7-X on YouTube, or below:

7 things successful people never pay for

7 things successful people never pay for

Business Man Reading Newspaper on LawnGetty Images / Oli ScarffWealthy people live on a lot less than you think.
When you think of things rich people buy, you might picture fancy Masaratis, lavish homes and designer wardrobes. Yes, most wealthy people do have extravagant tastes, but many are actually quite mindful of their spending habits.
What's the main reason for all their excess cash? Generally speaking, successful people function differently than the average Joe. For one, they don't purchase, pay for or act on things they consider a waste of money. They also live on a lot less than you might think.
Here's a list of seven things you won't catch rich people forking over cash for — and why you should also drop these wasteful spending habits.

View As: One Page Slides


Justin Sullivan/Getty
Rich people don't waste their money on ATM fees.

1. Bank fees 

If you pay bank fees, you might as well just flush your dollar bills down the toilet. Successful,rich people are much too money savvy to waste precious dollars on fees that can often be avoided.
Like many businesses, banks charge fees for their services. For instance, many banks will charge monthly or annual maintenance fees for certain accounts. Avoid these fees by playing by the rules. For example, Bank of America's Core Checking account charges a $12 monthly fee, but you can get the fee waived if you meet one of several requirements, such as maintaining a daily balance of at least $1,500 or having direct deposit set up.
According to David Henderson, a certified financial planner with Client One Securities, another good tip is to "request an account review with a banker to see if you have the right accounts for your particular situation and to see if you can reduce or eliminate any fees on your accounts. If you are a good customer, many times they will accommodate your request to reduce costs,” he said.

2. Credit card interest

A credit card can be similar to eating from a tub of ice cream. You might feel a little guilty for overindulging afterward, but it's just too convenient. Sure, it's easy to swipe plastic money, but you won't catch wealthy people accruing high credit card interest because it's a waste of money.
To avoid accruing interest, you can try transferring or consolidating your debt to a card with 0% introductory APR — just be mindful of the promotional period. Henderson said another option is to "consolidate any non-deductible debt into a second mortgage or home equity line of credit, which may be deductible depending on your particular situation.”
Once you're out of the red, Henderson suggested trying to live on less than you earn. "If you can train yourself to regularly and systematically put away money for your future, you can build wealth steadily and not need to rely on credit cards or other non-deductible debt.” Now that's truly living like the rich.
Flickr/Nana B Agyei
Rich people say no to extended warranties.

3. Extended warranties

Somewhere along the line — such as when you bought your flat-screen TV — you were probably asked, "Would you like to purchase an extended warranty?” A financially successful person has a simple answer when asked the question — no.
Although people want the most value from purchased products, generally, extended warranties don't give you more bang for your buck. They more often than not put more money in the pockets of large companies.
People with well-endowed bank accounts want to hold onto their money as much as possible — so they do the research. According to U.S. News Money, manufacturer warranties are more than sufficient. Plus, extended warranties have many stipulations. So the next time a salesperson tries to sell you on that extended warranty, shut the conversation down fast.

4. Lottery tickets

If you truly want to strike it rich, don't play the lottery. This is a sure way to burn money fast — and rich people know this financial gamble doesn't pay to play. Your chance of winning the Powerball jackpot is about 1 in 175 million. Those odds are not in your favor.
Take a look at the math: A Powerball ticket costs $2. That might not be much in your eyes, but if you play twice a week for a year — and buy two tickets each time — you'll have put more than $400 in the hole. Don't waste hard-earned money on chance when you can put it toward your retirement. With studies that show, "you are 17 times more likely to get hit by falling airplane parts than win a lottery,” Henderson said rich people normally make a more logical choice and "invest their money in other places.” Do the same because the lottery is not the way to wealth.
"Many studies have shown that people who are considered low income play the lottery much more regularly than higher income people who typically only play when jackpots get very large and there is more media attention,” said Henderson. Sure, it's fun to play when the stakes are high — but making a habit of it? Not a good idea.
Peter Macdiarmid / Getty Images
Rich people don't give in to temptations.

5. Impulse buys

Have you gone into a store with your mind set on purchasing one thing but come out with a cart full of stuff? Maybe it was BOGO at the grocery store, so you snagged a few items — but whatever the case might be, this is definitely not a shopping practice of the wealthy.
Successful people are planners, and impulse purchases tend not to mesh with this quality. If you want to emulate their behavior, you'll have to be much more cautious with your money, said Leslie Tayne, a financial attorney at Tayne Law Group and author of "Life & Debt."
To avoid the urge, Tayne said you might want to consider going cash only to curb your spending. "Use the envelope system, bringing with you only a predetermined amount of money to spend at each store," she said. "This approach will help you stay on budget and curb any habits you might ordinarily have in impulse buying and overspending."

6. Low-interest savings accounts

Do you like stashing cash in savings because it's secure and you can pull out money on a whim? Would you like to see more than pennies on your interest? If you answered yes to both, you might need to change your strategy to truly emulate a financial mogul.
Regular savings accounts don't earn a lot of interest. According to GOBankingRates' data, theaverage national savings account rate is a meager 0.18% APY — a stark contrast from what you can expect from a high-yield savings account.
You find these types of accounts by looking beyond a traditional brick-and-mortar bank. Online-only banks frequently offer the highest return rates because they have no or lower overhead costs. For example, Barclays online savings account currently provides 1.00% APY on balances — a rate that is approximately 10 times the national average savings account rate. So if you're looking to boost your wealth by making wise decisions with money, then you should explore the options for online savings accounts.
John Phillips / Stringer / Getty Images
Just because you can afford it doesn't mean you need to buy it.

7. High-end brands

You might see a lot of designer labels on the red carpet, but most rich people don't choose designer labels for every purchase. Though rich people have the funds to splurge at luxury retailers, they understand that doesn't always mean they should.
"Financially successful people compare shop and understand the importance of both quality and cost," said Tayne. "They may go for a cheaper item or buy the higher quality item from a cheaper store in order to make the wisest financial purchase."
So the next time you want to buy $200 designer jeans, stop and ask yourself if it's really worth the investment — or will $30 Old Navy jeans do the trick? Just remember to always shop wisely and keep your budget and financial goals in mind.
Read the original article on GOBankingRates. Copyright 2015. Follow GOBankingRates on Twitter.

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