m1lkman said:
But I was thinking more along the lines of a new 'killer app' (no pun intended) that would let the world hold it's breath.
I can think of one. Let's assume a few things, for the sake of argument:
1) A practical, seriously powerful nuclear fusion reactor can be built with more-or-less todays technology
2) The US had leadership that wanted the US to be successful and powerful
OK. So let's say that the US develops nuclear fusion. Perhaps the Skunk Works pulls it off in Area 51.There is now a fusion reactor the size and weight of a main battle tank that can put out enough juice to power a good sized city. What to do with it?
Step one would be to Tell Nobody.
Step two would be to mass produce them.
Step three would be to load a *lot* of them onto a crude oil supertanker, enough so that the tanker sat low in the water
Step four would be to sail it to, say, Saudi Arabia
Step five would be to sail *another* tanker at the same time, this time full of nothing but desalination systems
Step six: dock the two together. Fire up the reactors. Fire up the desal plant. Desalinate water at a blistering pace, and use the excess electricity to run stupidly powerful pumps to shoot the purified water in an arc well into Arabia.
Step seven: announce the arrival of nuclear fusion. Now practical, now commercial, available at easy terms for any budget. Announce the intention to buy up the worlds supply of existing oil tankers and convert them into floating desal/powerplants. Let it be made perfectly clear that you're going to be the magnanimous one and buy the tankers at a fair price because obviously there will soon be no need for *oil* tankers. Announce this in such a way as to make it clear that you aren't just *certain* that oil tankers will soon be superfluous, you're going to *see* *to* *it*that that's the outcome.
Step eight. Cry minimal crocodile tears about the fate of oil economies the world over. Tell the world that you'll be happy to help them in their forthcoming times of financial ruin... so long as they behave.
Cheap nuclear fusion would be *massively* powerful as a strategic weapon, even if it's never used to blow up a city, power a railgun, charge up a laser.