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National Ignition Facility Fires 192-Beam Pulse
An anonymous reader writes "The construction and test firing of the National Ignition Facility have been completed. NIF was designed as the first facility ever to achieve self-sustaining nuclear fusion and, in particular, to reach the point of ignition in which more energy is generated from the reaction than went into creating it. While the recent 192-beam pulse only produced 80 kilojoules worth of energy, all signs point to NIF being able to reach an order of magnitude higher (PDF) than that in the coming year."
You are aware that fusion ignition is typically studied in fission reactors right? You need a certain high temperature to achieve ignition and nuclear reactors are about the only place where it can be readily achieved. Other than in H-bombs.. ya know they're fission too right?
How we know is more important than what we know.