Fusion announcement from the Ignition lab.

[Umbran]

So would this be analogous to December 1938 or analogous to December 1942?

This is kind of between that Nobel Prize and the first sustained nuclear chain reaction.

 

[Rabulias]

Relevant humor:

Hydropower Breakthrough

xkcd.com

 

[GreyLord]

So would this be analogous to December 1938 or analogous to December 1942?

1896 or 1927.

Becquerel or Muller for references.

 

[Jahydin]

Perfect explanation!

 

[Stalker0]

The technology the NIF is using seems to be an unlikely candidate for commercial power production. I think it is an excellent way to study fusion, and the information gained may make one of the other fusions technologies work.

My thinking as well. The energy difference right now seems too great to overcome without some fundamental shifts in the process, but having fusion that could be sustained for longer periods of time could certainly provide critical information towards that ultimate goal.