The Governator Unveils Super Laser

[Peanut]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090530/ts_alt_afp/usitresearchmilitarylaser_20090530082418

For some reason...I couldn't think of a better person to dedicate this thing...I also can't help but read all the quotes from Schwarzenenegger in his voice...well in my mind at least...

Acutally in all seriousness, if this is all true, then this is a big deal...a very big deal...like historically big deal...we could be looking at the end of Oil as a major energy source AND nuclear threats to the US...that's big...

[Dante]

LOL, Is wearing a "Governator" T-Shirt... O_O.

Really cool topic too, I like both of it's potential applications, peaceful and wartime.

[Momo-P]

Anyone else almost feel irritated by the constant bragging of how "we created a star on earth!"? I mean come on, if it actually had the power of a star, then it wouldn't be able to operate without destroying the dang planet. ._. But otherwise...eh. Part of me thinks it's cool, another part finds it creepy.

[Nate]

Today we must abandon competition and secure cooperation. This must be the central fact in all our considerations of international affairs; otherwise we face certain disaster. Past thinking and methods did not prevent world wars. Future thinking must prevent wars.

[Cognitive Gear]

This could be very big. I certainly hope that it leads us into a new and exciting future!

[mechana2015]

Anyone else almost feel irritated by the constant bragging of how "we created a star on earth!"? I mean come on, if it actually had the power of a star, then it wouldn't be able to operate without destroying the dang planet. ._.

Note: They're generating the temperature of a star, not the mass, size or gravity of one. All the scientists in the article say that.

[Bobtheduck]

[quote="Nate (post: 1315778)"]Today we must abandon competition and secure cooperation. This must be the central fact in all our considerations of international affairs]

Forgive my stupidity moment right now, but is this a quote from a movie that I should know, because... it seemed a bit out of place.

[Technomancer]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090530/ts_alt_afp/usitresearchmilitarylaser_20090530082418

For some reason...I couldn't think of a better person to dedicate this thing...I also can't help but read all the quotes from Schwarzenenegger in his voice...well in my mind at least...

Acutally in all seriousness, if this is all true, then this is a big deal...a very big deal...like historically big deal...we could be looking at the end of Oil as a major energy source AND nuclear threats to the US...that's big...

I expect that the system will produce some good science, but I wouldn't be too overblown about the energy possibilities just yet. I'd be exceited about that only when they actually manage to achieve a sustained reaction and produce more energy than they consume.

[Pyro_artist]

Pretty cool idea...

any chance of sharing it with Canada?

[ich1990]

a house-sized sphere can focus 192 laser beams on a small point, generating temperatures and pressures that exist at cores of stars or giant planets.

This is only the beginning.

[Raiden no Kishi]

I expect that the system will produce some good science, but I wouldn't be too overblown about the energy possibilities just yet. I'd be exceited about that only when they actually manage to achieve a sustained reaction and produce more energy than they consume.

Well, the director seems optimistic about the fusion potential - it says so in the article. Granted, that may be partially publicity talk, but at some point they're going to have to show results, so I imagine they do have something in that area to show for it, otherwise it wouldn't be mentioned.

The reason I'm waiting to be excited about energy (haha, "excited" talking about lasers) is that I remain skeptical about whether or not special interest groups will prove an obstacle to the technology's application. I remain cautiously optimistic, though.

.rai//

[KumaruRockz]

How would this be used as energy?

[Raiden no Kishi]

How would this be used as energy?

If you look through the link again, it mentions that the laser array is able to ignite a nuclear fusion reaction. It offers several advantages over the nuclear fission that our current plants utilize, but has proved extremely difficult to achieve on any practical level. This laser array (it is said) should be able to start fusion reactions that produce an appreciable net energy benefit, which would be a step forward in the advancement of even better nuclear power.

.rai//

[Gelka]

...........I wants one!!!!!!!

[Fish and Chips]

I picture a future where all America's enemies are incinerated by orbital lasers.

It is a lonely future.

[KagayakiWashi]

It's all good until they get the electric bill.......or find out about its outrageous carbon emissions.
I have no idea what I'm talking about.

[Peanut]

I picture a future where all America's enemies are incinerated by orbital lasers.

It is a lonely future.

But it is also a safe future.

[Gelka]

But it is also a safe future.

Well, for Americans...

[Peanut]

Well, for Americans...

I would argue that the non-Americans would be safe as well...nothing can harm you when your dead.

[ich1990]

Well, for Americans...

...and illegal immigrants, those who have visas, foreign travelers, those with dual citizenship who happen to be in the U.S., etc.

Americans traveling abroad would likely be destroyed by the superlaser also. That is assuming, of course, that we build enough lasers to destroy everybody simultaneously and give no advance warning. If not, they would likely nuke us in return.

[bigsleepj]

Wow, this thread took a dark turn all of the sudden.

[Peanut]

Well, Lasers produce light and wherever there is light there are shadows so...anyway, back on topic...yes, this laser is awesome...it would be sad if it was weaponized because then we would have a new problem...hopefully we'll keep it merely as a defensive measure/energy studying thing...

[Gelka]

I would argue that the non-Americans would be safe as well...nothing can harm you when your dead.

0.0 .......
*hides under bed and prays the government doesn't turn on us...*

[everdred12a]

All we need now is... a huge, bipedal robot that can be controlled both by pilots and computers to wield this laser. It should be amphibious and have multiple other weapons like rockets, nukes, and machine guns. Perhaps the Marines could develop such a machine. Let's just hope it doesn't fall into the wrong hands.

[Whitefang]

I just want to say that this is a cool development, but not new.

http://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/story.php?id=6346

In addition to medical uses, intense laser beams like these could help researchers explore new frontiers in science. At even more extreme intensities, laser beams could potentially "boil the vacuum," which scientists theorize would generate matter by merely focusing light into empty space. Some scientists also see applications in inertial confinement fusion research, coaxing low-mass atoms to join together into heavier ones and release energy in the process.

If the fusion part is looking true, can you imagine creating matter out of space? The potential seems limitless.

[Nate]

If you look through the link again, it mentions that the laser array is able to ignite a nuclear fusion reaction. It offers several advantages over the nuclear fission that our current plants utilize, but has proved extremely difficult to achieve on any practical level. This laser array (it is said) should be able to start fusion reactions that produce an appreciable net energy benefit, which would be a step forward in the advancement of even better nuclear power.

.rai//

Which still wouldn't reduce our dependence on oil, given that cars don't run on lasers. It might reduce our need for oil/coal as far as power plants go, but as long as we have cars our need for oil will never be sated.

Forgive my stupidity moment right now, but is this a quote from a movie that I should know, because... it seemed a bit out of place.

No, it's not from a movie. It's an Einstein quote that he made shortly after the test of the atom bomb. It was made, in part, because the atom bomb was supposed to be a weapon so powerful that it would strike fear in all of America's enemies and therefore there would be no more wars, because we were so powerful.

We all know how THAT turned out.

Sorry, but I can't get excited over this as far as military applications go. In fact, if anything, it scares me more than you can imagine. Okay so our enemies might be scared of our super laser...for a while. Until they get their scientists to work hard, and now all of our enemies have their OWN super lasers too. Then we're back where we started, same as with nuclear weapons.

IT'S NEVER GOING TO END. This laser doesn't make us safer. It has no peaceful applications. We're just going to build bigger and bigger explodey things until we just wipe out the whole planet, that's the road we're headed down if you think this laser makes us "safer." The theory that "We have the biggest gun so now we're top dog" is what Einstein is saying is the thinking that did NOT prevent wars in the past. We need a NEW way of thinking if we are to have any hope of stopping future wars.

Unfortunately most people seem to have the theory that "POWERFUL WEAPONS = PEACE" so I'll just be quiet now.

[Technomancer]

I'm not really concerned about this system's potential as a weapon, and that's largely because it hasn't got any. It's military application is rather indirect: simulating the conditions inside a thermonuclear bomb. It isn't something that can be hauled around the battlefield, or even transported to one given that it's the size of a building. The power requirements are also well beyond the scope of what a modern mobile army could feasibly hope to supply.

There's a decent layout of the thing here:
https://lasers.llnl.gov/publications/pdfs/brochure.pdf

Also some info here:
https://lasers.llnl.gov/publications/pdfs/nif_facts.pdf

[Raiden no Kishi]

Which still wouldn't reduce our dependence on oil, given that cars don't run on lasers. It might reduce our need for oil/coal as far as power plants go, but as long as we have cars our need for oil will never be sated.

Um, yeah. Duh.

No, it's not from a movie. It's an Einstein quote that he made shortly after the test of the atom bomb. It was made, in part, because the atom bomb was supposed to be a weapon so powerful that it would strike fear in all of America's enemies and therefore there would be no more wars, because we were so powerful.

We all know how THAT turned out.

Sorry, but I can't get excited over this as far as military applications go. In fact, if anything, it scares me more than you can imagine. Okay so our enemies might be scared of our super laser...for a while. Until they get their scientists to work hard, and now all of our enemies have their OWN super lasers too. Then we're back where we started, same as with nuclear weapons.

IT'S NEVER GOING TO END. This laser doesn't make us safer. It has no peaceful applications. We're just going to build bigger and bigger explodey things until we just wipe out the whole planet, that's the road we're headed down if you think this laser makes us "safer." The theory that "We have the biggest gun so now we're top dog" is what Einstein is saying is the thinking that did NOT prevent wars in the past. We need a NEW way of thinking if we are to have any hope of stopping future wars.

Unfortunately most people seem to have the theory that "POWERFUL WEAPONS = PEACE" so I'll just be quiet now.

. . . did you read the article? Half of it was about fusion power and science experiments. How is that "no peaceful applications"?

.rai//

[Amzi Live]

Nice! Personally I get excited by stuff like this. While we advance in all of these technologies I can't help but realize that everything is falling into place for God's coming. *cough* and global apocalyptic events too.
Oh yeah,and we needn't worry on the military using the data for some super laser weapon, LOL I mean come on! I'm sure they already have it somewhere. xD They just unveiled this cheap thing.

[Whitefang]

I'm sorry but a xx femtosecond blast from a laser is not a practical super weapon. It might fry a line of cells in some unfortunate person, but it isn't destroying infrastructure, it isn't inflicting fear, and it isn't wiping out population centers.

As far as energy independence, it could actually have a negative impact on that, as it would require hydrogen (the easiest fusible atoms), which directly competes with hydrogen powered cars, the longest ranged vehicles that do not use petrol.