[JoeProBono]

[JimRed]

Don’t a lot of “end of the world” sci-fi movies start that way?

[nhoward14]

“to set off a nuclear reaction so intense that it will make a star bloom on the surface of the Earth”

I’ll take “Theories that need not be tested” for $2000, Alex.

[WayneS]

...or cut the planet in half.

Either way our energy worries are over!

[knews_hound]

I actually worked on this things cousin back in the 80’s at LLNL.

It was an amazing piece of tech even then.

Cheers,

knewshound

[GeronL]

What bad could happen with a man-made sun on the Earth??

Is it Bye Bye California?

[GQuagmire]

Waiting for Dr. Evil and images from that 80’s movie with Val Kilmer where the house gets hit with the laser from an airplane and the house is full of popcorn kernels.....

[nhoward14]

Still unresolved is the question of how to attach this sucker to a shark’s head.

[autumnraine]

Harness the energy of a star. Okee dokeeeee

[Mikey_1962]

Can world's largest laser zap Earth's energy woes?

NO because of the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

[Mere Survival]

Correct me if I’m wrong but this is just dramatic language describing nuclear fusion. Princeton’s been trying and failing to make it a reality for many decades. They always put in more energy to maintain the reaction than they are able to get out of the reaction. There was a mild concern that fission would do the same thing people are worried about here in the thread (blow up the air and all the world in a chain reaction). I don’t know the science but I’m thinking we aren’t that powerful. Suns have to be BIG to get the reaction going. Not a tiny thing in a tiny vessel (relatively speaking).

[Snickering Hound]

[G Larry]

Funny....this was the Subject of my 1980 Master’s thesis:
“Fusion by laser implosion”, was the end state for U.S. energy independence by the year 2005......

[rightwingcrazy]

For the past 50 years, a practical fusion power plant has been ten years away, or so I’ve read. I’m so disappointed.

[calex59]

Question for those that know(if any): How hot does this thing get, miniature sun implies millions of degrees. How does one contain that type of heat. If it doesn't get that hot why are they using hyper BS such as "miniature sun" to describe it? Even so, does it get so hot it will melt anytime of containment vessel, can they cool it down, can they control it at all?

I realize those are questions they should have answered already but then again we are talking about scientist, some of whom believe in global warming.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks GeronL for the ping, and JoeProBono for posting the topic.

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[Brett66]

I'm doubtful this is a path that will ever lead to practical fusion power, I think focus fusion can achieve that goal.

Focus Fusion