(Draft: November 2, 2024)
The Mission of The Waterstar Foundation will be to:
1. Continue the educational work of Fusor.net to foster interest in desktop nuclear fusion (“Bottling stars since 1998!);
2. Prepare for the observation of the 100th anniversary of Video on Earth on September 7, 2027
3. Preserve this epic, dual legacy by securing the birthplace of video at 202 Green Street in San Francisco in order to establish the Philo T. Farnsworth History and Science Center (assuming we can get the current owners to sell the property).
More info:
waterstarproject.org
tvcentennial.com
farnovision.com
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And if you’re wondering where the name “Waterstar” comes from:
A a nuclear fusion reaction is actually a ‘synthetic star’ created by combining – fusing – atoms of deuterium, an isotope of hydrogen found in near infinite abundance in the Earth’s oceans.
So… a fuel source derived from water to produce an artificial star = “Waterstar.”
It’s a term I’ve been using since I first learned of Farnsworth’s fusion work in the mid-1970s. In fact, the photo illustration at the top of this page was taken by ex-wife Georja Skinner on the beach in Santa Monica, CA in 1978.
Here’s what the actual reaction looks like, from an experimental fusor built by Brian McDermott – a member of the “neutron club” (that means he’s achieved fusion) as described at our sister website, fusor.net:
photo: Brian McDermott