On: ‘Diamond-age’ of power generation as nuclear batteries developed

[drzaiusapelord]

Every few years there's a proposal for a new nuclear battery. This was the last one:

https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/190555-this-nuclear-batt...

The problem is none of these approaches solve the disposal problem or the dirty bomb problem. You can buy 1,000 of these and build a dangerous device that would require serious clean-up and, obviously, can hurt a lot of people.

So, this will never be in a smartphone or laptop, but perhaps power industrial items that can't be practically charged often like remote robots or sensors. Or applications in space to replace aging, expensive, and heavy RTG's.

[nathan_f77 → drzaiusapelord]

> You can buy 1,000 of these and build a dangerous device that would require serious clean-up and, obviously, can hurt a lot of people.

Or you can buy $1,000 worth of lithium batteries and try to build a breeder reactor in your back yard: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Hahn

Oh no, I didn't know he passed away only a few months ago. And that's very sad to read about the rest of his life.

[drzaiusapelord → nathan_f77]

The lithuim is just used to purify the thorium he illegally acquired. I don't think your comparison really works here.

[Declanomous → drzaiusapelord]

It doesn't even have to be a dirty bomb. You just need someone who is overly curious and then you've got a Radioactive Boy Scout situation.