Laser Fusion

woodchip · Post by **woodchip** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 6:58 am

Now this sounds interesting. We all remember cold fusion (fizzle) and of course we have nuclear reactions with their nasty side products. With lasers we may in fact achieve a form of energy creation the will be limitless:

Scheduled for completion in 2010, the massive NIF laser is expected to prove to the world that laser fusion will work and should be taken seriously.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6720449.stm

TIGERassault · Post by **TIGERassault** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 7:30 am

Ok, so they think they can make an environment hot enough to produce fusion. But what about controlling it and harnassing it?

roid · Post by **roid** » Thu Jun 07, 2007 9:49 pm

odd, i could have sworn we already had achieved Inertial Confinement Fusion. But this article seems to want you to believe this is all new *shrug*

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inertial_c ... ent_fusion
looks like they've made some low yeilds of sporatic fusion before with the technique, but never the full violent \"implosion\" they were looking for. Yet

I like the NIF coz it's laser glass it made in a continuous process that looks like DELICIOUS CANDY

NOMNOMNOM

Mobius · Post by **Mobius** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 9:49 pm

Bussard's system will spank this.

Behemoth · Post by **Behemoth** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 11:01 pm

Wasn't this same thing on spiderman 2? ;p

Sirius · Post by **Sirius** » Mon Jun 11, 2007 11:12 pm

If Bussard's system for some reason doesn't work, though, it seems there are at least two fallbacks... this and the ITER/tokamak crowd he so disdains.