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What Would You Do With the World's Most Powerful Laser?

Posted by samzenpus on from the popcorn-house dept.

sciencehabit writes "This week, the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California announced an important milestone on the road to achieving ignition, which could lead to producing controlled fusion reactions here on Earth. But NIF isn't just about harnessing the energy of the stars—it's about learning how stars produce their energy in the first place. In fact, pushing matter to extreme pressures and temperatures lets scientists explore all sorts of unanswered questions. At the annual meeting of AAAS in Chicago four physicists sat down with Science Magazine to discuss NIF's basic science potential and what experiments they would do if they had the laser all to themselves."

15 of 143 comments (clear)

  1. I would.. by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 5, Funny

    >What Would You Do With the World's Most Powerful Laser?

    I would attach it to the world's biggest shark. Obvious really.

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    I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
    1. Re:I would.. by Mashiki · · Score: 2

      Of course you would. Next up would be mutant sea bass, ill tempered...mutant sea bass.

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      Om, nomnomnom...
    2. Re:I would.. by WarJolt · · Score: 2

      Such a buzz kill, man. When I invent a shrink ray to shrink the laser, guess whos going to be the laser shark's first victim. Muhahahaha

    3. Re: I would.. by viperidaenz · · Score: 2

      Have you ever met a whale shark with a 5TW laser on its head?

    4. Re:I would.. by FatdogHaiku · · Score: 2

      I would use it to heat three year old edible pizza!

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      You have the right to remain sentient. If you give up the right to remain sentient, you will be elected to public office
    5. Re: I would.. by Eunuchswear · · Score: 2

      Meanwhile the whale shark is thinking... ... Finaly I get to eat something other that raw krill!

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      Watch this Heartland Institute video
  2. Clearly. by fuzzyfuzzyfungus · · Score: 3, Funny

    Probably prepare for unforseen consequences.

  3. Popcorn by Radak · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'd make popcorn in Professor Hathaway's house, of course.

  4. Power by StripedCow · · Score: 2

    1. Build large nuclear power plant on the moon.
    2. Use strongest laser to beam power to earth.

    Alternatively,

    1. Build large solar plant
    2. Bring it into space
    3. Send it towards the Sun
    4. Use strongest laser to beam power to earth.

    (Warning: please think this over first; this was just me brainstorming.)

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    If Pandora's box is destined to be opened, *I* want to be the one to open it.
  5. Perfect target for this... by rts008 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I would fire it at /.Beta.

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  6. I would NOT by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    look into it with my remaining eye.

  7. We all know the answer... by r1348 · · Score: 2

    Dicks on the moon.

  8. Fill Jerry's house with popcorn kernels... by The+Grim+Reefer · · Score: 2

    And fire the laser from an airplane to heat the house.

  9. Get laid by sandbagger · · Score: 2

    Now this would impress chicks!

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    ---- The above post was generated by the Turing Institute. Maybe.
  10. Re:Easy... by jerpyro · · Score: 2

    You can't point it anywhere, it's in a sphere and the lasers face inward. :P

    But to your point (being some organization), if I had the world's most powerful laser, I would take the politics out of it so that the scientists could make progress. So, technically, you're not too far off.