Too cheap to meter: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 12:42, 25 September 2012

Revision as of 18:10, 7 November 2012

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It is often (understandably but erroneously) assumed that Strauss' prediction was a reference to conventional uranium fission nuclear reactors. Indeed, only ten days prior to his “Too Cheap To Meter” speech, Strauss was present for the groundbreaking of the [[Shippingport Atomic Power Station]] where he predicted that, "industry would have electrical power from atomic furnaces in five to fifteen years." However, Strauss was actually referring to [[hydrogen fusion]] power and [[Project Sherwood]], which was conducting secret research on developing practical fusion power plants.<ref>Pfau, Richard (1984) ''No Sacrifice Too Great: The Life of Lewis L. Strauss''‎ University Press of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, [http://www.amazon.com/dp/0813910382 p. 187, ISBN 978-0-8139-1038-3]</ref><ref>"Abundant Power from Atom Seen; It will be too cheap for our children to meter, Strauss tells science writers," New York Times, Sept. 17, 1954, p. 5. </ref><ref>{{cite book

| url= http://books.google.com/books?id=qBqbr8uV9c8C&pg=PA32&ots=X_NiY853vH&dq=strauss+son+cheap+meter&sig=NJRVHP66IqtX80mgp38UfttAIPc

| title= ''Nuclear Energy: Principles, Practices, and Prospects''

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| accessdate= 2008-01-31 }}</ref>

Strauss gave no public hint at the time that he was referring to fusion reactors because of the classified nature of Project Sherwood and the press naturally took his prediction regarding cheap electricity to apply to conventional fission reactors. However, the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission itself in testimony to the U.S. Congress only months before lowered the expectations for fission power, projecting only that the costs of reactors could be brought down to about the same as from conventional sources.<ref>[http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,893336,00.html ATOMIC ENERGY: The Nuclear Revolution] Time Magazine, February 6, 1956</ref> Conversely, Strauss viewed hydrogen fusion as the ultimate power source and was eager to develop the technology as quickly as possible and urged the Project Sherwood researchers to make rapid progress, even suggesting a million dollar prize to the individual or team that succeeded first.<ref>Bromberg, Joan Lisa (1982) ''Fusion: Science, Politics, and the Invention of a New Energy Source''‎ MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ECOvgg7b3MQC&pg=PA97 p. 44], ISBN 0-262-02180-3</ref>

== See also ==

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* [http://media.cns-snc.ca/media/toocheap/toocheap.html Canadian Nuclear Society page on this speech]

* Steve Cohn (1997). [http://books.google.com.au/books?id=qQu_YotSU94C&pg=PA133&lpg=PA133&dq=nader+%22critical+mass%22&source=bl&ots=6jcCg3X0P6&sig=FV7rMA2EK_4HVp3DTdk0TGb7gKo&hl=en&ei=oS8uSqTQEYWVkAW289CHCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=6#PPA134,M1 Too cheap to meter: an economic and philosophical analysis of the nuclear dream]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Too Cheap To Meter}}

[[Category:English idioms]]

[[Category:Commerce]]

[[ar:رخيص جدًا للقياس]]