This is a very dumb meme that people use to avoid learning anything about the actual hurdles that are currently being faced by fusion researchers. At some point, fusion will be much less than 30 years away, and at that point, I guarantee you that lazy people will still be repeating this joke, because it is literaly the only thing they know about the subject.

"Fusion is always 30 years away" is a heuristic that almost always works. https://astralcodexten.substack.com/p/heuristics-that-almost...

We haven't even been splitting atoms for a full century yet. Give science some goddamn time to work.

20 century progress was so crazy that people got all the kinds of unrealistic expectations.

Not to mention we haven't invested a fiftieth of what we should have into fusion research.

More money goes to subsidizing almonds.

Not reading the article in the link you're replying to is a heuristic that almost always works ;)

We did nuclear fusion in 1952. Controlled nuclear fusion--and producing more power out than goes in--that's another matter.

This is an excellent read, thanks for sharing

"Assuming anything Scott Alexander Siskin says is wrong" is also a heuristic that almost always works.

If only I didn’t do my phd in a department with plasma guys 30 years ago back in the 90s eh?

It was 30 years away at current levels of funding. Funding dipped considerably. This is as dumb as when they ask you for an estimate at work, then change the scope of the project and then retort with "well it was your estimate".

I think it used to be in 20 years time.

https://bigthink.com/videos/fusion-really-is-20-years-away-2...

Inflation.