Mike Scott wrote:
The Natural Philosopher wrote:
...
In fact, there is a puzzle, in that the earths actual temperature is
more than can be accounted for by the solar radioation and its initial
temperature post formation, leading to a lot of speculation that it is
in fact a large fission reactor in its own right.

Isn't there a large molten iron core that makes up the difference? Been
there since year dot, or thereabouts, cooling all the time.

yes, there is, but the surface temps don't match that. Hence speculation
about fission being in the mix somewhere.

- There certainly HAVE been natural reactors in the past. (Gabon)
- The concentrations of Uranium isotopes today, show that by and large
there was a LOT of fission going on to leave what's left. How much heat
this priduced nd where is ..debated.
- cheock out 'georactor' in google for a theory that isn;t that
respactable, and nowhere near esastblished thinking, but is inetersting
to say the least.


But out of curiosity, what happened to all the research into fusion
reactors? Anyone else remember ZETA?



Still going on. The last gasp of the last torus was actually
significantly energy positive,and a new thing is being built in France
IIRC too go one step furher..only about another 9 steps to a commercial
proposition.