So you say. Though I don't see any evidence humanity as a whole has moved past groupthink. But yeah, I might be wrong about SAFIRE, as I haven't done any fusion experiments myself, just read a bit of research.
I work with fusion researchers. We regularly talk about non-mainstream designs and unexplored areas of physics. It’s a lot of fun. The mainstream is mainstream because it’s what works, not because that’s what our fathers built. The theoretical physicists are actively working on a dozen empirical models. They throw out what they need to. No one’s saying “don’t fund alternatives”. Fund alternatives. Show that they work. They haven’t in the past, but if one did the most excited people will be the mainstream fusion researchers.
