Best-Case Scenario for Nuclear Energy

It’s the birthday of Enrico Fermi (pictured here), the physicist who first applied Albert Einstein’s theory of special relativity to the conversion of a tiny amount of mass to a large amount of energy, in the form of the atomic bomb. Einstein is reported to have later commented, “If I had known what would happen with my discovery, I would have become a locksmith.”

From a military standpoint, we need to hope that the world’s powers somehow come to a binding agreement to dismantle all nuclear weapons, to refrain from building any more in the future, and to keep them out of the hands of rogue states.

The best-case scenario for nuclear energy for peaceful purposes lies in LFTRs, liquid floride thorium reactors based on the fission reaction of Th232/U233. It’s not too late to develop this safe (low pressure), efficient (high temperature), non-threatening (very low weapons potential) solution with very little nuclear waste ramifications.