[est31]

I think the issue with fusion is similar to the arguments made by the lady in OP. Yes, fusion is under-funded but partly because people doubt that it's possible at all. OTOH, there are definitely people who have seriously good proposals for further fusion projects e.g. [1].

[1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkpqA8yG9T4

[maxxxxx]

I have never heard that people think fusion is impossible. It looks more like a flight to the moon appeared around 1960. You know it’s possible but there is a lot of engineering needed to make it happen.

[mhh__]

The problem is it's not even known whether the engineering problems can be attacked at all, unlike the Apollo program where even though a large amount of work (Breadth rather than depth this time) it was an iterative evolution of past programs.

[maxxxxx]

In 1960 they had no idea how rendezvous in space or a lot of other things would work but they knew they would figure it out with enough time and money . From whatever I have heard about fusion I have never heard about doubts about feasibility. It’s about trying out different things and getting experience since the knowledge in plasma physics is so thin.