A second pass at fusion by two ladies - the video

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Richard Hull
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A second pass at fusion by two ladies - the video

Post by Richard Hull »

Within a link supplied by William Turner, in another thread related to an "orbitron" fusion scheme, I found (part two) of a ridiculous fusor build ostensibly built by two gals. The first You Tube run on these girl's effort was a bust. Apparently, a major player at Helion invited the ladies to work up a second pass at making a fusor. With someone on hand, (Helion), with $25,000 worth of spare parts, the girls "seem" to be assembling a large CF cross type, fusor device. With many thanks to video editing, the device seems to get ever more connected to a finished entity. At one point, we actually see one girl turning a bolt with a wrench, Wow! Note: Simone is that girl. She is a proven "doer" which we hold as very special. She has her own workshop.

In the end, the 25+ kilobuck contrivance is assembled. The girls are all agog over "their" assemblage. With a fail on deuterium flow, using what amounts to a water spigot, the Helion people use a needle metering flow control and create a halting and fading 6kv demo fusor ball. The girls freak out as expected and are told it is doing fusion. They accept this on faith of course, as no fusion detection electronic gear is at hand.

We know, in theory, that some micro amount of fusion that is, effectively immeasurable, is most probably there for but a fleeting moment. We have dubbed a non-proof of fusion, "star in a jar" like this weak attempt, as being a "demo Fusor". Who dare question such an expensive and impressive effort by these two ladies?

Watch this amazingly well put together Puff piece! It is a masterpiece of video edited deception showing that even girls can do it.
I would love to hear our successful fusioneer, Emma's take on this video. I would be embarrassed to assemble such a video as this, but Helion came to the rescue of these girls first video fail with a gang O' bucks in parts they had surplus to their mega $$$$ effort.

I do not make fun of the ladies' glee at seeing the plasma ball form, even if it is a fleeting view. Why do I not poke fun at the excited ladies? In 1997, at my HEAS yearly gathering, once I saw Tom Ligon's plastic desiccator demo fusor produce a perfect floating ball of plasma, I was as one of those girls!! I am here today because of that first image that burned its way into my brain. The image below was captured by me that fateful day in 1997.

As I see it...Tom Ligon was the Johnny Appleseed of amateur fusion, with but one seed that took root. I was merely the first tree in an orchard that the perfesser created.

The pass #2 video is seen at...........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsikwXnUcBs

Richard Hull
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Here is the pitiful, but fully functional demo fusor demo'd by Tom Ligon at HEAS1997 that hooked me
Here is the pitiful, but fully functional demo fusor demo'd by Tom Ligon at HEAS1997 that hooked me
This is the image of that contained plasma ball in Tom's demo device that finds me here today.
This is the image of that contained plasma ball in Tom's demo device that finds me here today.
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
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Bob Reite
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Re: A second pass at fusion by two ladies - the video

Post by Bob Reite »

I commented on that video, staying that they did not have concrete proof of fusion either by detecting neutrons or activating an element. For the money that they had on had, they could have bought a 50 KV supply to get enough neutrons instead of the lower voltage one and a bubble detector to prove that fusion was being done.
The more reactive the materials, the more spectacular the failures.
The testing isn't over until the prototype is destroyed.
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Emma Black
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Re: A second pass at fusion by two ladies - the video

Post by Emma Black »

I've followed Simone's various builds for years some of which are impressive and pretty enjoyable to watch, even showing the total failures which I think is pretty important. I like that she is getting better and better with making things and the projects are getting more and more elaborate and high quality.

I find the small slightly silly projects very therapeutic in between the big ones.

The video was, as Richard said a bit of a puff piece for Helion, but I thought it was pretty fun. The first watch I missed the bit about the 6kv and my brain slightly shuddered at having some excited faces that close to to a normal voltage fusor. Over on Helion's instagram they did show some testing clips back at their HQ. Perhaps they tested it with some kind of high end neutron detector setup they had on hand before shipping it out.

I was however less impressed by youtube automatically hiding my well written comments to the video though for being too long.
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Re: A second pass at fusion by two ladies - the video

Post by Andrew Seltzman »

I'm a little concerned about why a turbo that large was chosen, even more so that one of that size was not anchored down, and possibly that the view-port doesn't seem to have any x-ray shielding (though at 6kV that shouldn't be much of an issue yet).

Nice fusor though
Andrew Seltzman
www.rtftechnologies.org
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Richard Hull
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Re: A second pass at fusion by two ladies - the video

Post by Richard Hull »

Andrew, Helion just grabbed a turbo they had from their stores shed and brought it to this fusion fest along with all the other goodies in those boxes introduced at the beginning. We really don't think for one moment the girls picked this stuff up and paid for it!

Why build a real, realizable amateur demo fusor for the gals when you can supply them with the "big stuff". Far more impressive. No x-rays and certainly no real fusion shown to be there.

Richard Hull
Progress may have been a good thing once, but it just went on too long. - Yogi Berra
Fusion is the energy of the future....and it always will be
The more complex the idea put forward by the poor amateur, the more likely it will never see embodiment
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Jim Kovalchick
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Re: A second pass at fusion by two ladies - the video

Post by Jim Kovalchick »

I enjoyed reading the YouTube comments from people all entranced by it all. Someone commented on it being the best fusor demo video ever. Obviously that person had never seen a video of a first Saturday in October run at Richard's.

In spite of the technical short comings, I think it's cool to see people enjoying science.
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