The Polywell Guy

About The Polywell Guy

My name is Dr. Matthew J. Moynihan. I hold a doctorate in chemical engineering, with many years of experience working on targets for the National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. From 2006 to 2012 I was a horton fellow, at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics. My thesis was chaired by Riccardo Betti, winner of the 2009 Edward Teller Medal and the 2012 Ernest O. Lawrence Award. Previously, I received my masters and bachelors degrees in chemical engineering and mathematics from the University of Buffalo. I was also a NCAA Division 1 cross country runner. I founded The Polywell Blog in 2009, under the pen name John Smith. I was the creative force behind more than 33 posts, 12 films and 10 codes explaining and modeling the polywell. I have since expanded my blog to discuss alternative fusion research broadly. Often, my blog takes the latest papers from leading academic journals and translates them into plain English. The purpose is to present the science as-we-find-it not as-we-like-it. Posts can be collaborative efforts, but because this is not peer reviewed so there are mistakes. I have joined this forum to discuss fusion research and the polywell.