Laser fusion test results raise energy hopes

Ken Morgan

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Cool! So if you wake up tomorrow and the planet is gone, making room for an interglactic highway, you'll know who to blame.

Honestly though, this stuff is just so fascinating.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8485669.stm


A major hurdle to producing fusion energy using lasers has been swept aside, results in a new report show.
The controlled fusion of atoms - creating conditions like those in our Sun - has long been touted as a possible revolutionary energy source.

However, there have been doubts about the use of powerful lasers for fusion energy because the "plasma" they create could interrupt the fusion.
An article in Science showed the plasma is far less a problem than expected.

The report is based on the first experiments from the National Ignition Facility (Nif) in the US that used all 192 of its laser beams.

Along the way, the experiments smashed the record for the highest energy from a laser - by a factor of 20
 

Carol

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Cool! So if you wake up tomorrow and the planet is gone, making room for an interglactic highway, you'll know who to blame.

Sometimes its just about opportunity though. Ya know, since they took my planet and all...could I be first in line to open up an intergalactic highway oasis, or at least a strategically placed Tim Horton's? :lfao:

That is very cool stuff. :asian:
 

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