Saudi Arabia’s wildly ambitious plan to build 500m tall, mirrored, 170km long parallel skyscrapers, forming a 1.5M population desert city has been curtailed to 2.4km long.

The news was broken by the financial news publication Bloomberg, which said that Saudi Arabia’s government had “scaled back its medium-term ambitions” for Neom, of which The Line is the most significant sub-project.

The Saudi government had hoped to have 1.5M residents living in The Line by 2030, but this has been scaled back to fewer than 300,000, according to the report. It is unclear how it intends to house a higher concentration of people considering the proposed length (and therefore area) has been massively slashed.

  • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
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    7 months ago

    There’s no need for personal attacks. If you read them, both articles have updated sustained fusion reaction times based on China’s successful experiment. The only nation currently investing heavily into further research is China, but they have released all research for the scientific community. If I were to speculate, it would be because this technology would save a communist nation billions, while costing a capitalist nation just the same.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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      7 months ago

      It is not a personal attack. Virtually everything you have said has been dishonest.

      You said it was recent. It was 2 years ago.

      You said it was a success. It was 17 minutes.

      You said scientists claim that practical fusion is 20 years away. Your evidence did not make that claim.

      You can speculate all you like, but your actual claims have been false. Repeatedly.

      • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
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        7 months ago

        The Chinese government announced the fusion consortium on Jan. 9, 2024 according to the first article I posted.

        17 minutes of 158M°F heat is a success. The previous record was 17s, and required maintenance and repair after fusion. With improved capture and storage, this version can work in modulation.

        From the article:

        The Chinese government has set the goal of building the first industrial prototype fusion reactor, which it has dubbed an “artificial sun,” by 2035. Officials hope to begin large-scale commercial production of fusion energy by 2050.

        So yeah, it’s an exciting prospect in the development of stable nuclear fusion.

          • disguy_ovahea@lemmy.world
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            7 months ago

            Sure, not with that attitude. You seem pretty determined to discredit the success here. How heavily are you invested in fossil fuels?

            • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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              7 months ago

              I didn’t realize the only two options available were fusion power, which is not yet practical, or fossil fuels.

              I was sure there were lots of other ways to generate electricity.

              I guess not.

                • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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                  7 months ago

                  I thought you wanted to clarify, but instead you accused me of being invested in fossil fuels.

                  And to clarify that, I’m not invested in anything. Unlike you, apparently, I can’t afford to invest in things.

                  • glimse@lemmy.world
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                    7 months ago

                    Man, I don’t think fusion is coming any time soon either but I just read this entire exchange and you have been undeniably insufferable the whole time. There are a thousand ways to discuss this disagreement and you chose the combative one.

                    I’ve argued with people like you before. You accuse and accuse and accuse them when the other person realizes it’s not worth their time and throws a parting jab, you play victim. It’s embarrassing and everyone sees right through it.