Lightbridge Corporation (LTBR)

[77Port]

It seems far along in the process to still be making a "surrogate model." This line identifies the small, yet major, victory: "successful demonstration of the manufacturing process and fabrication of Lightbridge Fuel™ surrogate rods ..."

One of the press releases had this line, The surrogate materials were designed to simulate the flow stresses, including temperatures and extrusion pressures, expected in the manufacture of the Lightbridge Fuel rods using a uranium-zirconium alloy.

"Simulating" stress "expected" is, of course, not the real thing. My take away is that this important and essential step gets LTBR closer to being tested: for real. That is where the bankable outcomes are hiding in plain sight. Choices are: It really works. Or: It didn't work as expected. Or: It partially worked but unintended consequence appeared which need to be further studied and adapted for.

As powerful as computer simulations are, nothing replaces real time testing using actual materials. And without discounting the significance of computer simulations, boatloads of real money is on the line and major bets have been placed. If successful and the tests continue to replicate the simulated model, it's fair to assume the bets will go up. Still, until the process moves from surrogate testing to implementing a reaction in a real life, real time power plant, we stay in limbo.