[SandyCaesar]

Originally Posted by Zachstar

Indeed tho the cost of fission reactors will never drop because the idiocy never ends.

I LOVE the modern designs. HIGHLY efficient and HIGHLY safe. But the cost is just too much. Modern heat solar kicks its ass nine ways to Sunday.

Agreed, partially. I maintain that reactors, in principle, are better than solar plants, and are also cheaper in the cost-to-output sense (solar plants just don't produce enough bang for the buck, IMHO). The fission-fusion plant looks very intriguing in the long run, but you have to factor in R&D, while breeders are an existing technology, and so work better for the short term.

But you're very right about public opinion changing the cost equation. To the general public, breeders are suddenly very bad, while fusion and solar plants become sexy as all hell, even if you do have to wait a decade or so for them to become really competitive. Then, the associated costs change accordingly, and before you know it...What was it that Newton said? "I can predict the motion of the stars, but I cannot predict the madness of men," right? Ah, well.