Café Scientifique - June 2022
The Roads Not Taken Then: Recent Developments in the Quest for Fusion Power
The next session in our 2022 series will provide an introduction to the history of nuclear fusion, and an update on how close fusion may be to becoming a main contributor to the world’s energy mix.
In a field which has seen the creation of extraordinary international collaborations, a device first pioneered conceptually 75 years ago by an Australian scientist is today under advanced construction in Southern France.
Concurrently, over the past decade or so, alternative lines of research and experimental devices have arisen, or been reactivated, with renewed urgency. These have attracted staggering private and public funds, and much hype which can blur the actual state of play.
Keeping things simple, we shall try to cut through the hype and see where we stand, with a particular mention of two Australia-based projects including one in which the speaker is involved.
The lecture will be given by Martin Storey, who is an independent professional engineer in the resources industry and an amateur scientist collaborating with UWA academics on fusion-related research.
Coffee and cake included in the ticket price.
Martin Storey
This lecture is delivered by Martin Storey. Martin is a French-born-and-bred,
Perth-based independent petroleum engineer with over thirty years of international experience in a variety of fields. For the past
six years, he has been involved part-time in fusion research, assisting a France-based principal scientist. He may now be in the
process of transitioning to that field. He holds a BSc in Mathematics and Computer Science from Stanford University, and an MSc in
Electrical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology.
This lecture is organised in collaboration with AFRAN and WA Museum Boola Bardip at the Woodside Learning Studios of the WA Museum Boola Bardip.