# Moving to France!



## Jim Beam (Dec 19, 2017)

Yep. We fly out January 23 for a 5 year stay in southern France, longer if we want. My wife landed a job at ITER, the next generation fusion research reactor being built in southern France. I will most likely get a job there as well, but either way we're set, the pay and benefits are sweet. Check them out at iter.org. We have been working on this for over a year.

We will live somewhere near Aix en Provence. ITER is paying for the relocation, so we are bringing all of the shop tools. They will pay to move us back after 5 years, but we are open to the idea of just staying there if we like it enough. We are keeping our house here in the Jemez mountains as a rental.

What a refreshing change to go from working in the DOE nuclear weapons complex to working on developing clean fusion energy, perhaps mankinds' last best hope to save the planet. I am stoked!

Reactions: Like 2 | Way Cool 14 | +Karma 2


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## Tony (Dec 19, 2017)

Congrats Robert, sounds like a real sweet deal! Tony


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## ripjack13 (Dec 19, 2017)

Oh very nice. 

Parlez-vous français ?


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## barry richardson (Dec 19, 2017)

Congrats to you and your wife, sounds like the opportunity of a lifetime!


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## Tom Smart (Dec 19, 2017)

Will you adopt me?

Reactions: Funny 3


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## woodtickgreg (Dec 19, 2017)

Very cool, congrats to both of You! Now we will have members in France!

Reactions: Agree 1


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## Mike1950 (Dec 19, 2017)

congrats, Merry Christmas


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## CWS (Dec 19, 2017)

That's great Jim. I'm so glad things are working out for you. Good luck and Merry Christmas


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## ripjack13 (Dec 19, 2017)

Tom Smart said:


> Will you adopt me?



I keep asking @Don Ratcliff to adopt me....I'd rather live in Hawaii ....

Reactions: Funny 1 | Sincere 1


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## Tom Smart (Dec 19, 2017)

ripjack13 said:


> I keep asking @Don Ratcliff to adopt me....I'd rather live in Hawaii ....


They have better wine in France. The weather on the Med Coast is close to that in Hawaii. And you don't have to put up with @Don Ratcliff

Reactions: Agree 1 | Funny 5


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## TimR (Dec 19, 2017)

A big congrats to the two of you. Sounds like a great opportunity and chance to see a lot over 5 yr span. Look forward to hearing more once landed, so keep us posted!


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## TimR (Dec 19, 2017)

Jim, got me thinking. The carbon based power plants of today are seeing a huge retrenchment as it is, in favor of renewables like wind and solar. The world has turned its head on nuclear power, and France with all its nukes is probably leaning that way also. 

Encouraging that it’s happening in France, that’s for sure. These renewables that are now more viable due to advances in energy storage are steadily displacing even large baseload turbine/generators. Will be a boon to all industrialized and smaller nations if the fusion plant can be retrofitted into these coal/gas plants that still have many years left in them. Or for that matter, retrofit a nuke plant.Won’t be so good for the coal and natural gas industry, but I think we all hoped something sustainable would come around before we depleted all reserves, or irreparably damaged the environment in the process. 

Best of success to ITER and their goals, and you two while watching history be made.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Jim Beam (Dec 19, 2017)

TimR said:


> Jim, got me thinking. The carbon based power plants of today are seeing a huge retrenchment as it is, in favor of renewables like wind and solar. The world has turned its head on nuclear power, and France with all its nukes is probably leaning that way also.
> 
> Encouraging that it’s happening in France, that’s for sure. These renewables that are now more viable due to advances in energy storage are steadily displacing even large baseload turbine/generators. Will be a boon to all industrialized and smaller nations if the fusion plant can be retrofitted into these coal/gas plants that still have many years left in them. Or for that matter, retrofit a nuke plant.Won’t be so good for the coal and natural gas industry, but I think we all hoped something sustainable would come around before we depleted all reserves, or irreparably damaged the environment in the process.
> 
> Best of success to ITER and their goals, and you two while watching history be made.




I agree with all you said. This is an international effort by China, Japan, South Korea, India, Russia, the USA, and the EU. This reactor will further the understanding of plasma physics in a huge way. The reactor is designed to collect a huge amount of diagnostic information. Although they expect it to be generating more electricity than it consumes by 2035, it's main purpose is to enable the design of the _next_ generation of fusion reactors. Those will be more simple in design and will connect to the power grid. So, in our children's' lifetime we will have clean energy with no CO2 emissions. I feel lucky to play some small role in making this happen.

Reactions: Way Cool 3


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## Jim Beam (Dec 19, 2017)

ripjack13 said:


> Oh very nice.
> 
> Parlez-vous français ?



I'm learning, and actually making some progress. Most people under 50 in France speak a little English, and those under 30 speak quite a bit. We went there last June, and I learned that if you show a little effort to speak their language, they will make an equal effort to speak yours.

Reactions: Like 5


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## Nature Man (Dec 20, 2017)

Congrats! Life-changing opportunity. Glad you can continue your woodworking there. Be sure to stay plugged in to WB, and give us updates from time to time. Chuck


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## Don Ratcliff (Dec 20, 2017)

ripjack13 said:


> I keep asking @Don Ratcliff to adopt me....I'd rather live in Hawaii ....


Sorry I forgot to tell you; I went to the adoption agency and when they asked me for my two cents I had to leave, that's just to rich for my blood to adopt you...

Congratulations Robert, sounds like a wonderful opportunity.

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


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## David Hill (Dec 21, 2017)

Congrats on your new posting!
Spent my very young years in France (Army brat). Might think about trying Babbel - a phone app--am learning Spanish with it.

Reactions: Like 1


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