Nuclear Fusion Real Soon Now

Mr. A. Coward writes "Researchers at the National Ignition Facility are attempting to produce nuclear fusion. They'll focus 192 amplified lasers on a pellet of frozen hydrogen. 'NIF experiments will be the first to create fusion that gives off more energy than it takes in.' That will have to be quite a bit, since it will take 500 trillion watts to ignite the pellet in the first place. The facility has been plagued with delays, and so far only 4 of the 192 lasers have been completed. Researchers believe they will first achieve fusion sometime around 2014."

Comments

Researchers?

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't you mean snake oil salesmen?

Come on, this is ridiculous. Fusion is impossible. If it was possible, it would stand everything we know to date upon it's head.

This is just a way for researchers to get funding so they don't have to do any real work and then say "Oops, looks like it didn't work after all... Dum de dum...."

Okay, that's great.

[UPAAntilles]

So they can create fusion...big deal. It's been done before. Call me when they can retrieve more energy than they put in.

Re:I'm sorry but....

[JavaTHut]

Compile Error: Semicolon missing on line 1

Re:I dunno

[Anonymous Coward]

"It just screams "waste of money" to me."

Nuclear Fusion is vital to maintaining our society. If our "free" fossil fuels supply begins to plummet amid our ever growing demand curve, without renewable resources to fill the gap, there's going to be alot of bloodshed over these scarce energy resources.

Re:What was that joke.

[Anonymous Coward]

Ummm, I think that was the point of the original post. Seems the humour impaired American isn't just a stereotype...

Why

[Anonymous Coward]

Why oh why do they let michael post the stories?

You my friend, are a douchebag.

Re:What's wrong with this statement?

[jonman_d]

AFAIK, HTBT.