Nuclear fusion has long been hailed as a near-perfect solution to the burgeoning global energy crisis. Centered around the replication of reactions occurring in the sun, this process involves the fusion of two lightweight atoms like hydrogen at extremely high temperatures, resulting in the release of large amounts of energy as well as the creation…
For the very first time, scientists has been able to generate hydrogen gas that is over three times hotter than the sun’s core, via the process of nuclear fusion. What is more, the team has successfully maintained such high temperatures for a total of 102 seconds, setting a new world record. The breakthrough, the researchers…
A few months back, we talked about the 200-trillion-watt Trident Laser that is capable of producing plasmas several times hotter than the sun’s core. This time around, a group of scientists has devised an entirely new technique that could enable lasers to heat certain types of materials to temperatures higher than the sun’s center, in…
A team of three researchers, working at Boeing, has submitted a patent application for a laser-powered aircraft propulsion system. Although it does seem ambitious, given our current, quite limited, knowledge of nuclear fission and fusion, the company believes that this self-powered engine could one day be used to propel airplanes, spacecraft and even missiles. (more…)