Hacker News Reader

I actually got really excited after reading the article, and the entire piece is about how "down to earth" (pun intended) the technology being developed here really is.

They are going to great lengths to make it compatible with the existing power grid (just replacing the heat source for current generators), re-utilizing abandoned mines and all.

So, would you care to elaborate why you think it would never materialize?

View on HN

I agree the technology does seem down to earth, and they're trying to make it quite practical. I'm also excited.

I just think of so many hurdles...I hope they make it. I originally wrote a huge reply explaining my thinking, but sounded like a rant.

If it works, maybe it can also be used to quickly bore the underground tunnels Musk has been working on. Could be life-changing tech.

The article puts a lot of weight on the use of pre-existing technology in a new mode for making deep bore holes, and glosses over the engineering challenges that have yet to be solved ("transmitting a clean beam and having it operate at a high energy density without breakdown").

I'm not equipped to judge how difficult those problems will be to overcome in practice. Obviously this would be very cool if it bears out, but it's hard to tell if it will.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com