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It's likely the case for fusion, in that fusion is an extremely high energy research area. Room temp superconductor research is several orders of magnitude lower in energy usage. Energy has a intrinsic cost, and the more energy involved, the more infrastructure required to manage it. There is no data here, but I imagine the total cost is logarithmic, with several hockey stick bends where certain materials are no longer viable in those energy levels.

An example: casting You can cast wax nearly for free, given that you salvage the mold materials and carve them by hand, sunlight can be used to melt the wax (~70C), and almost no materials are needed to control heat. Casting pewter is a bit more difficult, as a wooden mold will burn a bit, and you'll need some type of heat control tech, such as an oven or microwave or solar forge (~200C). The temperature has only tripled, but already materials no longer work and costs are significantly higher. I've worked in a titanium foundry and the cost is enormous compared to low energy areas.



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