US media: Another key area, the US is far behind China!
Yesterday, Fox News reported: "China's rise in nuclear fusion has put the US in a 'Sputnik moment'. CFS CEO Mamgad warned that China has invested between $6 billion to $12 billion over the past few years, integrating industry, academia, and research resources to advance the project. However, the US's related facilities are still at 1990s levels. Nuclear fusion is called the 'holy grail of energy', and the market size is expected to reach $1 trillion by 2050. China not only leads the world in the number of nuclear fission power plants under construction, but also EAST device has broken records repeatedly, and projects like BEST device are progressing steadily. The number of patents and talent reserves have already surpassed the US. The US once suffered from budget cuts leading to talent loss. Although some companies now push for prototype machines and power plant plans, its lag in government investment and coordination has already put it at a disadvantage in this energy competition."
[Witty] Mamgad invoking the "Sputnik moment" is nothing more than anxiety after losing hegemony, blaming others. When the Soviet satellite launched, the US reacted with panic, but eventually mobilized the nation to catch up. Today's U.S.-China nuclear fusion competition, however, is self-inflicted — in the early 21st century, the U.S. cut fusion budgets, forcing universities to stop new research, and researchers went to China for guidance. The loss of talent had already doomed the U.S. to defeat! China's investment of $6 billion to $12 billion is not empty talk: EAST achieved 10,000 degrees Celsius for 1,066 seconds, breaking the world record five times, with over 2,000 patents, and the number of nuclear fusion PhDs is ten times that of the U.S. "Kuafu" and BEST devices are progressing steadily, while the U.S. last year's fusion budget was only $790 million, and its equipment is still at 1990s level. The so-called prototype machine is still just on concept drawings.
The $1 trillion market is right around the corner, but the U.S. does not reflect on its own institutional shortcomings, instead blaming China for moving too fast. This kind of behavior — missing opportunities on one hand and blaming others on the other — is not crisis awareness, but a helpless lament of declining hegemony. History has already shown: anxiety cannot bring leadership; only solid investment can ensure a foothold!
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1853018165172355/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.