Game Changing Technology

January 29, 2026

"Core technologies proven out, and ready to be put together"

If you read the press releases* you'd be forgiven for thinking that General Fusion have been steadily developing a single fusion concept for over 20 years and that core technologies were proven out, and ready to be put together. Not so, rather they have repeatedly abandoned concepts — presumably changing when they realised that a given scheme was unworkable.

_{* Some of which have recently been removed from their website, as if they're trying to hide things from new investors.}

The Hidden Pivot

Abandoned Concepts

General Fusion's pathway is littered with abandoned concepts. Initially they promised a machine with a characteristic dimension of just 1 cm. But, that has grown in a series of steps to 6 m — that's a 200 million fold increase in volume (note that the machine in it's entirety would be much larger than 6 m in diameter). Plasma configurations, liquid metals, and driving fluids change every few years. Each of these changes require different technologies. Time and money (almost half a billion dollars worth) spent developing early concepts was wasted. What's to say they won't do the same with new investment?

Explore General Fusion's Technology Timeline

Half-baked ideas

Watch Michelle Laberge (Chief 'Science' Officer at General Fusion) talk in May 2023 about "lead being terrible" but nevertheless needing it "for the inertia", and describing their "half-baked" alternatives. Note: this video was recorded less than three years ago in 2023 — after 20 years and almost half a billion dollars of effort. Less than three years and just a few million dollars later they are looking to take your investment.