Norman and the NERD: Google insider spills beans on how the quest for clean nuclear energy went ballistic at one of the world's largest technology companies with a weird detour via cold fusion

Date:
Sat, 07 Dec 2024 12:03:00 +0000

Description:
Google's nuclear energy pursuit combined policy innovation, machine learning, fusion breakthroughs, and cold fusion experiments.

FULL STORY

Google has been at the center of many innovative developments, but its foray into nuclear energy development - aided by unexpected detours into cold
fusion and machine learning - is a lesser-known chapter of its innovation journey.

To achieve its goals, Google partnered with TAE to enhance Norman, a machine designed for advanced plasma experiments, and NERD (Nuclear Energy R&D), Googles bold program to explore clean nuclear energy.

A Google insider has now shed light on how this journey unfolded, complete
with pioneering successes, bureaucratic battles, and a strange sidetrack into the discredited realm of cold fusion.

Tackling advanced nuclear policy

Googles interest in nuclear energy wasnt merely about technology, it extended to reshaping policies.

In collaboration with think tanks like Third Way, Google worked to create a policy landscape conducive to advanced nuclear development. Advanced reactor designs, which promise safety, efficiency, and better waste management, often face bureaucratic hurdles due to outdated regulatory frameworks.

To address this, the NERD team supported legislative efforts, resulting in multiple laws that modernized nuclear licensing and provided funding for demonstration projects.

This advocacy bore fruit. The US federal government committed billions to support the next wave of nuclear reactors, including small modular reactors (SMRs). Notably, Google recently signed an agreement to purchase nuclear
power from SMRs, signalling its practical commitment to the nuclear renaissance.

In the realm of nuclear fusion, Google combined its computing prowess with plasma research at TAE Technologies. The centerpiece of this effort was
Norman, a reactor designed to heat plasma to extreme temperatures. The optometrist algorithm, a machine learning tool that optimized the reactors settings was key to this initiative.

Like an optometrist adjusting lenses for clarity, this algorithm enabled physicists to refine experiments efficiently, resulting in groundbreaking advancements in plasma stability and temperature control.

These collaborations pushed TAE to new heights, as Norman surpassed its
initial goals, and the insights gained fueled the development of Copernicus,
a reactor targeting the holy grail of energy breakeven, where energy output equals input.

However, NERDs most unconventional project was its exploration of low-energy nuclear reactions (LENR), colloquially known as cold fusion. While cold
fusions credibility was tarnished after controversial claims in the late
1980s, Google approached the topic with rigorous scientific scrutiny. Partnering with external researchers, Google funded 12 projects investigating whether anomalies in earlier experiments could yield a breakthrough.

The result? No evidence of cold fusion, but a wealth of peer-reviewed publications and unexpected applications. Nevertheless, Googles nuclear endeavors didnt stop with fusion and policy. The company explored nuclear excitation, a cutting-edge method to tailor nuclear reactions for energy generation or waste reduction.

The scale of Googles ambition from transforming US nuclear policy to
leveraging machine learning in fusion and re-examining debunked science is absolutely ballistic. This unconventional journey reflects Googles broader philosophy: no idea is too big, too wild, or too controversial to explore. While not every initiative hit the mark, each contributed to a greater understanding of nuclear energys potential.

Via IEEE Spectrum

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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/Google-insider-spills-beans-on-how-the- quest-for-clean-nuclear-energy-went-ballistic

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