Nuclear Innovation Claims Mask Financial Incentives Behind Breakthroughs

A flurry of nuclear "breakthroughs" reveals a familiar pattern of financial incentives driving technological claims. China's "impossible" steel for fusion reactors and "meltdown-proof" plant compete with Brenmiller's thermal storage system and Westinghouse's $180M ITER contract. The timing coincides with increased government funding, including $900M from the US Department of Energy for SMRs, suggesting these announcements may be positioned to capture capital flows rather than represent genuine technological leaps.