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Ask HN: What would it take to go from 0 to contributing to fusion research?

7 points by blackhaj7 ↗ HN
Clearly very hypothetical but what would it take (time, effort, money, etc) to learn about nuclear fusion and become useful enough to contribute towards its advancement?

It strikes me as a key area for humanities advancement on and off Earth but one that doesn’t have much backing.

I was thinking if someone theoretically had enough financial security to not have to worry about money again and was starting over from scratch, would it be possible?

10 comments

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32gbsd
You can do anything you put your mind to but somethings require large amounts of resources. Resources which are either controled or expensive. Knowing what to do might get you 50% there but you would still need to run experiments to gain new information
ktpsns
As a person, you can also opt in for carrying out a job in fusion research (=academia) or fusion industry. In case you are a software developer (as many of us here on hacker news), your skills are wanted badly both in academia as well as industry.
HeyLaughingBoy
What does "learn about nuclear fusion" mean? That's a very non-specific statement that doesn't carry any useful meaning.

It spans the gamut from "I'm going to read an article in the Times today" to "I'm going to complete a PhD in Nuclear Physics and then do a postdoc at a fusion lab."

blackhaj7
I hoped the “become useful enough to contribute towards its advancement” would give more context on the goal of the learning
songeater
https://jobs.lever.co/cfsenergy
muzani
This is actually quite good. I probably only qualify as "associate buyer" but I figure buying the parts would at least familiarize you with how things work in practice. That should get you further than most of the advice here.
lambdatronics
Depends on what kind of contribution you want to make & how much you want to learn, and what skills you already have.

If you wanted to be on the cutting edge as a fusion physicist, and let's imagine you are a bit rusty on calculus & physics, you'd probably be looking at >2yrs remedial math/physics classes at the undergrad level, plus about 6yrs of graduate work. If you're able to get into a big-name program, you could be doing something useful after the first couple years of the graduate program.

If you're a data analyst/engineering or programmer, you could probably get involved in a less direct way (supporting the science team) much faster.

Here's a pretty good list of (primarily US-based) jobs in the fusion sector, including both scientist & other roles. Have a look at the qualifications these roles require.

https://usfusionenergy.org/opportunities

FranksTV
No specific fusion knowledge, but just general advice:

Don't assume that you can't contribute right now. Companies that work in fusion and they will need all the stuff that normal companies need. If you are a web developer, they likely have websites and will have web teams. If you are a UX designer they will likely have control systems that need to be designed.

If you're serious about this, I would seek out people in the industry and just talk to them about your interest and ask what kind of roles on their team would be a good match.

Being genuinely super passionate about the work of the company is a huge plus when you are interviewing. Don't undervalue your current skills and your enthusiasm.