@cjd @nanook @p
>if it weren't for regulation
>guys with guns
i can tell you what it looks like on our side: you model it the way you model something like an earthquake, it's just a risk priced into the operational cost.

from what i recall, this risk-adjusted cost was not substantial. this directly contradicts your thesis that "guys with guns" regulation is the barrier.

>if you use thorium
i've long been aware of internet guys talking about thorium reactors. it wasn't something we had data for. the tech is interesting, and i hope it takes off and is everything people promise. i also really like the idea of a fusion reactor.

one thing i will remark is, if thorium is as good as people are saying, why is nobody building more of them? you can just build power plants: it's not any different from building an apartment complex or running a machine shop, anyone can do it.
regulation or not, if it was as incredible as people bill it, people would be building them en masse, you couldn't stop me from building ten thorium reactors, it's literally free money. but that's not what we see happening.