The Fusion Quest Gets Real

[guest]

I don't know about you other guys but I think this group has a whopping great chance of doing something extremely productive. Although it seems we have nothing but problems we are at least making headway.
I think in a few short years we will outpace the big guys.
Why do I think this?
Simple.
We are properly motivated by the rewards of our work.
If we buy something for our research we will look it over very closely to be sure it will work.
Contrast this with the fusion heavyweights:
At the biggies just go down to general accounting and buy it with petty cash. Doesn't matter whether it works or not ..it's not your money.
Besides if this thing doesn't work they won't fire us.
The paychecks keep on rolling no matter what.
The other fusion groups(Princeton,KMS,LLNL,LANL,MIT,Princeton) are like huge dinosaurs, slow moving and pounderous.
Centrally planned like soviet styled agencies.
Their massive beaurocracies eat up what we laughingly call our budget. Hell I bet their paper and paper clip budget equals the entire group's expendatures for last year. Their carpet chewing preisthood rarely anymore go to the lab... that's what grad students are for. By going to hands off,the other groups have left themselves wide open for the unexspected. After a while the ritual of research is set in stone and becomes a theater troupe performance.
We tiny little rodents will grow and multiply while the giants doze in the sunshine. One day a big rock will hit and the mammals will take over.

Larry Leins
Stainless Steel Rat (304)
(I'm a fan of Haulderman Fiction)
Physics Teacher