This article on #SmallNuclearReactors (or #SmallModularReactors #SMR) bears some striking similarities to the #AIHype:

"This vision never materialized. No turnkey reactors were carted cross-country or floated up rivers. Then, as earlier, they were deemed too expensive.

[...] Once again, we see history repeating itself in today’s claims for small reactors—that the demand will be large, that they will be cheap and quick to construct.

[...] In fact, the record is pretty clear: Without exception, small reactors cost too much for the little electricity they produced [...]"

https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-forgotten-history-of-small-nuclear-reactors

Current #AIModels easily cost twice their revenue. But not only training, also the sheer operation is becoming more and more expensive when usage grows. The way these (so called) businesses are run can not be sustained.

There is an irony in bringing up the obsolete small reactor idea every now and then for this deeply flawed technology.

#AIBubble #GenerativeAI #AISlop #LLM

The use of small nuclear reactors in powering the ML models is something that I thought would be a thing 5-10 years from today. It turns out that it is happening right now.

https://techxplore.com/news/2024-10-google-nuclear-power-startup-kairos.html

#ai #nuclearenergy #smallnuclearreactors

Scientists say small nuclear reactors a 'chimera'
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2024/jul/24/australia-news-live-politics-fatima-payman-albanese-dutton-biden-us-election-greens-labor-coalition-weather-tech-giants-child-safety-ntwnfb?filterKeyEvents=false&page=with:block-66a01cd38f0804734c48d8ff#block-66a01cd38f0804734c48d8ff

Nuclear TechBros love to go on about Small Nuclear Reactors (SMRs), but they're not a real thing.
Yes, in theory, they're low carbon, but — despite the greenwashing — they're not renewable energy, nor are they cheap, and nor are they free from risk.

At best, some other countries will build SMRs in the next decade or two. Then Australia would wait until they're up and running for a while, and then we'd take another decade or two to build one at such an expense that it's always going to be cheaper to buy solar power or wind power.

Until then, you can be sure that people hyping SMRs are really all about delaying the uptake of renewable energy, and it's likely that their underlying motivation is to keep us burning dirty old coal and oil.

#AusPol #Nuclear #NuclearPower #SmallNuclearReactors #SMRs #WindPower #SolarPower #Renewables

One Big Chart: how does the cost of nuclear power compare to renewables?
https://www.theguardian.com/news/ng-interactive/2024/may/24/nuclear-power-australia-liberal-coalition-peter-dutton-cost

The chart in this article illustrates the "bang for buck" for electricity generation options. Unsurprisingly, renewables come out ahead, fossil fuels come in the middle, and nuclear is the worst. Don't take my word for it; this comes from scientists who've been working on it for decades at the CSIRO. Another takeaway: don't take Peter Dutton's word for it, either.

#AusPol #PeterDutton #FossilFuel #Wind #Solar #Renewables #RenewableEnergy #Nuclear #NuclearPower #SMR #SmallNuclearReactors #GenCost #CSIRO

Peter Dutton wonders when batteries will be “discovered”, and if wind turbines are sentient
https://reneweconomy.com.au/peter-dutton-wonders-when-batteries-will-be-discovered-and-if-wind-turbines-are-sentient/

Peter the Malignant Potato is talking shit again. He's rolling out the stale, old arguments against renewable energy. There's nothing new here in his message.
But his delivery has changed. I think he's had some analysts telling him his personal performance on the Dunkley bye-election was a flop, and nobody is believing his hype about Small Nuclear Reactors.

As a result, Dutton has started to mix-in some folksy humour, common misconceptions held by Boomers, conspiracy shibboleths, and some preposterously wrong assertions. It takes time for opposing viewpoints to critique his garbage, but he's already moved on to his next point quickly.

It's a subtle but dangerous shift. Dutton has adopted a media strategy used by Steve Bannon, MAGA nutjobs, and QAnon conspiracy theorists: flooding the zone with shit.

#AusPol #Dutton #Renewables #RenewableEnergy #NuclerPower #Wind #Solar #SmallNuclearReactors #SMRs #SteveBannon #MAGA #QAnon

Paul Bongiorno: Nuclear power and Liberal response to Dunkley – two things that don’t add up
https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/finance/2024/03/05/bongiorno-liberals-dunkley-nuclear

Paul Bongiorno makes a number of excellent points in this article.
- Dutton’s toxic image, negativity, and total lack of policies is no help to the LNP.
- Opinions expressed by Sussan Ley bear little relation to reality.
- Nuclear power is not a viable option anywhere in the world due to cheap and plentiful renewables, and this especially the case in Australia due to not having nuclear power experts or industrial capability (nuclear medicine yes, nuclear power no).
- Former Liberal staffer, Niki Savva says trying to turn around Saturday’s defeat "as some kind of victory, shows a level of denial and delusion that does not serve them well". And: "You will never win an election with denial and delusion. They have to change".

#AusPol #Dunkley #DunkleyByElection #PEterDutton #SussanLey #DunkleyVotes #NuclearPower #SmallNuclearReactors #SMR #Renewables