Power from nuclear fusion - the deliberate misinformation of Q?

[Retro]

Q is the net energy gain and must be above one for fusion power to be useful, but which Q value is it?

This brand new video just 4 hours old from physicist Sabine Hossenfelder explains the little trick that's going on to confuse people about the true capabilities of current fusion power projects by confusing the two Q values. It looks like it's being done to keep the research money flowing, although she never explicitly states this. See for yourself.

 

[PhysicsGuy]

Very interesting. I didn't know that and it deeply disappoints me. I feel a little knowing that she only learned a couple of years ago herself.

I really do like Sabine's attitude of call out bulshit. Thunderf00t is excellent too and I imagine you probably have seen his videos. It irritates me enormously the damage pop-sci journalism does to physics. Even New Scientist hypes physics occasionally, reporting for instance the EM Drive nonsense.