Tying Knots With Light

thedreadedwiccan points out a summary of a recently released physics paper about tying knots with light. A pair of researchers showed that a relatively new solution to Maxwell's equations allows light to be twisted into stable loops. They are designing experiments to test the theory now, and it could have a big impact on fusion technology. The paper's abstract is available at Nature, though a subscription is required to see the rest. Quoting: "In special situations, however, the loops might be stable, such as if light travels through plasma instead of through free space. One of the problems that has plagued experimental nuclear fusion reactors is that the plasma at the heart of them moves faster and faster and tends to escape. That motion can be controlled with magnetic fields, but current methods to generate those fields still don't do the job. If Irvine and Bouwmeester's discovery could be used to generate fields that would send the plasma in closed, non-expanding loops and help contain it, 'that would be extremely spectacular,' Bouwmeester says."

Comments

Done in 1984 - Flux Capacitor

[Anonymous Coward]

Anybody who is anybody saw the flux capacitor in what 1984 - this is old work. the flux capacitor had loops and curves etc.

Re:Done in 1984 - Flux Capacitor

[Anonymous Coward]

At least one of them has a fucked up foreign-sounding last name like Bouwmeester, so I predict this will be a success! Seriously, when's the last time a scientific advancement was made by Cooper & Smith?

Real technical vocabulary

[Nuclear Elephant]

If Irvine and Bouwmeester's discovery could be used to generate fields that would send the plasma in closed, non-expanding loops and help contain it, 'that would be extremely spectacular,' Bouwmeester says."

Bouwmeester continued by saying that light is, "way cool" and the ability to tie knots with it would be, "totally freaking awesome".

Light sabers?

[slapyslapslap]

Please tell me this is getting me closer to owning a light saber. PLEASE!!!

Dr. Octavius?

[MikeUW]

I'm pretty sure this was already covered in Spiderman 3 - hopefully things turn out better this time around.

Re:Dr. Octavius?

[Lord Fury]

Doc Oc was Spiderman 2. The villain in Spiderman 3 was conforming to societal pressures, security guards outside of Hot Topic, and running out of mascara and hair spray.

Don't cross the streams

[symbolset]

That is all.