Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, February 22, 2024
Posted: 22nd February 2024
The ITER tokamak will have the world’s largest plasma volume of 840 m³. Despite billions of dollars invested over decades, controlled fusion has yet to be demonstrated experimentally and fusion power is nowhere near commercial application. (Credit: ITER International Organization, modified by F. Diaz-Maurin)
VICTOR GILINSKY
What’s fueling the commercial fusion hype?
“The special attraction of fusion is of course that it offers a potential source of abundant carbon-free energy that does not generate radioactive nuclear waste. But just because it would be nice if controlled fusion could work doesn’t mean it’s on the verge of doing so.” Read more.
RYAN A. MUSTO
Is the spread of regional denuclearization dead? Or a path toward eventual disarmament?
No new nuclear-weapon-free zone has entered into force since 2009. “Next year will mark the longest stretch without a pact since the concept first came into existence. This makes one wonder whether progress in regional denuclearization is dead and, if that’s the case, what can be done to revive it,” writes one issue expert. Read more.
GARY MARCUS
OpenAI’s new text-to-video app is impressive, at first sight. But those physics glitches…
“OpenAI wants us to believe that this is a ‘path towards building general purpose simulations of the physical world.’ As it turns out, that’s either hype or confused,” writes one AI expert. Read more.
New report to offer a responsible path forward for research with pandemic risks
On February 28, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. ET. the Bulletin will release the final report of its Independent Task Force on Research with Pathogen Risk at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
The report will offer recommendations on how to make research with pandemic risks more safe, secure, and responsible.
This past weekend, Christopher Nolan recognized organizations that work on nuclear weapons issues while accepting his BAFTA award for directing Oppenheimer. Last summer, the Bulletin interviewed Nolan on what inspired him to create the film. Read more.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“From the unprecedented poor air quality that we experienced last summer to the basement floodings that our residents on the West Side experienced, the consequences of this crisis are severe, as are the costs of surviving them. That is why we are seeking to hold these Defendants accountable.”
— Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson. Article by Zack Budryk, “Chicago sues oil companies for impacts of climate change,” The Hill
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