&gt; It&#x27;s not even been developed, yet the author is convinced it will be &#x27;the most expensive way to create electricity ever devised&#x27;.<p>Counting R&amp;D costs, plus the fact that it still doesn&#x27;t work, implies an ROI that would make anyone agree.<p>I think &quot;breakthroughs&quot; (e.g. discontinuous breaks in research where research is leapfrogged) are slowing down. This <i>doesn&#x27;t imply scientific or technological advancements</i> are slowing down, which I think you misread. All the author is arguing is that maybe we should reconsider investing our money in hugely expensive projects whose success is completely unbounded EXPECTING breakthroughs. This just seems rational.