UK joins laser nuclear fusion project

Nothing more than some interesting breaking news. PS, thought I was posting this in "Science & Technology", damn, (sorry). In 2009:

Scientists in the US have finished building the National Ignition Facility - a colossal new physics experiment which aims to recreate the blistering conditions at the heart of the sun.

In 2011/12:

An interesting new article for those that may wish to read shows that this project is making its way to the UK. I picked it up because one of the laboratories in question is quite local, and is getting involved. It seems science facilities around the globe have take a full steam ahead approach.

Dr Moses said that a single shot from the Nif's laser - the largest in the world - released a million billion neutrons and produced for a tiny fraction of a second more power than the world was consuming.

Reading through the article defines some of the energy levels they need to reach for "ignition" and apparently this hasn't been achieved yet. When it does the aim is clean energy, but some of the energy factors are mind-boggling. I'm trying to figure out if this is the 'first' time ever we will have "ignition".

Part of the problem has been that the technical ability to reach "breakeven" - the point at which more energy is produced than is consumed - has always seemed distant. Detractors of the idea have asserted that "fusion energy is 50 years away, no matter what year you ask".

The new article is here:
www.bbc.co.uk...

And the former info about the US side forming in 2009 is here:
news.bbc.co.uk...

Light is the future, if you want to travel at the speed of light, you must first master all aspects of light. Lasers are but one way to generate power, communication and transportation.

Let's hope so. But that amount of energy...available...to be taxed? GAH