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Re:Alphabet spins out Taara – Internet over lasers by HPsquared on Monday March 17, 2025 @07:44PM (#43394010)
Observing distant nuclear fusion, before unleashing it locally.
Re:Alphabet spins out Taara – Internet over lasers by gonzo on Monday March 17, 2025 @07:48PM (#43394049)
fission != fusion, but yeah
Re:Alphabet spins out Taara – Internet over lasers by chairhairair on Monday March 17, 2025 @08:02PM (#43394166)
I’ve got some bad news for you about modern nuclear weapons.
Re:Alphabet spins out Taara – Internet over lasers by graevy on Monday March 17, 2025 @08:05PM (#43394192)
h-bombs do both
Re:Alphabet spins out Taara – Internet over lasers by juancampa on Monday March 17, 2025 @10:07PM (#43395039)
fission + fusion
Re:Alphabet spins out Taara – Internet over lasers by bagels on Monday March 17, 2025 @11:47PM (#43395574)
The fission primary is used to trigger a secondary fusion reaction in modern weapons.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermonuclear_weapon

Re:Alphabet spins out Taara – Internet over lasers by dreamcompiler on Tuesday March 18, 2025 @12:48AM (#43395860)
All fusion weapons are fission weapons first (like a few nanoseconds first).

All fission weapons are not necessarily also fusion weapons. But probably most are nowadays.

Re:Alphabet spins out Taara – Internet over lasers by Tuna-Fish on Tuesday March 18, 2025 @02:53AM (#43396425)
Every nuclear weapon in the active US stockpile has a secondary fusion stage, the last pure fission weapons were removed from service and dismantled in 1992.

Most of the cost in a nuclear weapon is in the primary. It only makes sense to build pure fission weapons when you want very low-powered nukes for close range tactical use; the DoD has determined that don't see enough use for them to justify the upkeep of specific weapons.