Laser Fusion

Filed in archive Edge Technology on June 4, 2007

The myth of Laser Fusion may become a non-myth soon. This article from The Guardian says that a multinational project that is being led by British researchers aims to replicate how the sun (and other stars in the universe) creates energy. And this group of rocket scientists are doing it with high-power lasers to create a reaction called nuclear fusion.

The science is a bit involved but in a nutshell, the idea is to fuse two hydrogen atoms together and form Helium. This process releases a lot of energy but leaves only lowl-level radioactive material wastes afterwards. The technology is still far from commercially acceptable, but from the looks of it, could really be there. After all, size is a determinant. Engineering a laser cannon big enough would be the most challenging aspect, I think. Hey, does that not remind you of those cool japanese-gigantic robot flicks?