Imagine harnessing power on a scale almost unimaginable. A cutting-edge laser facility called ZEUS at the University of Michigan has reached a groundbreaking level of power. It generated a brief pulse of light with a power output exceeding the entire world’s electricity consumption by a factor of one hundred. The powerful laser facility has set a new U.S. record by achieving two petawatts (2 quadrillion watts) of peak power, almost doubling that of its closest competitors. Interestingly, the laser’s immense power lasted just a fleeting 25 quintillionths of a second. Yet, in that fleeting moment, ZEUS can unlock profound scientific...