[philipkglass]

In the even longer term plasma fusion offers a way to create the heavier elements that we are running out of here on earth. Forged in a manmade nuclear furnace.

The only heavy element that we actually "use up" to any significant degree is uranium, which is consumed for energy, but if we had cheap fusion energy uranium consumption would plummet. Even if we could make artificial uranium it would be a net-energy-losing process to make artificial uranium with fusion power instead of using fusion power directly.

[adamsmith143]

>The only heavy element that we actually "use up" to any significant degree is uranium

Helium would like a word with you.

[philipkglass]

The only heavy element. Helium is the second lightest of all elements. I didn't think that the post I responded to meant helium because it said heavy elements (plural) and it referred to the far future, after mastering fusion as an energy source.