The LIFE Project to Create a Mini Star on Earth with 192 Lasers

The LIFE Project to Create a Mini Star on Earth with 192 Lasers

gizmodo.com

Well, this is crazy. The LIFE project at the National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has plans to create a mini sun in the lab, one that could create more energy than it takes to create.

Yes, we're talking about fusion here. By focusing 192 huge laser beams at one 2mm ball of frozen hydrogen gas, they hope to create nearly limitless free energy. Oh, and it gets better:

In addition, the LIFE engine design can be "charged" with fission fuel. The resulting fission reactions will produce additional energy that can be harvested for electricity productio

(visit the link for the full news article)

See how our universe is born.

Well, this is crazy. The LIFE project at the National Ignition Facility at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has plans to create a mini sun in the lab, one that could create more energy than it takes to create.

Yes, we're talking about fusion here. By focusing 192 huge laser beams at one 2mm ball of frozen hydrogen gas, they hope to create nearly limitless free energy. Oh, and it gets better:

In addition, the LIFE engine design can be "charged" with fission fuel. The resulting fission reactions will produce additional energy that can be harvested for electricity production. Moreover, by using depleted uranium or spent nuclear fuel from existing nuclear power plants in the blanket, a LIFE engine will be capable of burning the by-products of the current nuclear fuel cycle. Because the fusion neutrons are produced independently of the fission process, the fission fuel could be used without reprocessing. In this way, LIFE may be able to consume nuclear waste as fuel, mitigate against further nuclear proliferation, and provide long-term sustainability of carbon-free energy. A LIFE engine, via pure fusion or through the combination of fusion and fission, will generate the steady heat required to drive turbines for generating from 1,000 to 2,500 MW of safe, environmentally attractive electric power 24 hours a day for decades.


gizmodo.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

I hope they know that the ball doesn't have nearly enough fuel or power to sustain itself. They will have to waste so much energy to keep it going.

Originally posted by Equinox99
I hope they know that the ball doesn't have nearly enough fuel or power to sustain itself. They will have to waste so much energy to keep it going.

Those amplifiers use much energy i think.
Release the red matter is the outcome, if you now what i mean..

www.youtube.com...

An extra from the OP.

Great project!

For those who say it's dangerous, it really isnt.

They won't be able to sustain the reaction for a while so they are just going to make multiple little star reactions, they will probably last no more than a few seconds at first.

~Keeper

Originally posted by tothetenthpower
Great project!

For those who say it's dangerous, it really isnt.

They won't be able to sustain the reaction for a while so they are just going to make multiple little star reactions, they will probably last no more than a few seconds at first.

~Keeper

But what if you ad atoms or plasma in to the glass where the reaction is taking place. What happens then.. just a fooling

daily.../2010/03/timeline-of-the-universe/

daily.../2010/03/timeline-of-the-universe/

Here's a funny extra from the OP

[edit on 20-6-2010 by MrOrange82]

link doesnt work copy/paste please

[edit on 20-6-2010 by MrOrange82]

english.ntdtv.com...

Another creation made possible by light and Wii


www.alcyone.com...

This is also interesting

[edit on 20-6-2010 by MrOrange82]

www.postimage.org...

[edit on 20-6-2010 by MrOrange82]

This is very interesting.

When a star 'dies' it creates a black hole, right?

So, when this 'mini star' 'dies', will it create a small black hole?

Anyone with more knowledge than me, I implore you to educate.

Fusion reactors have been talked about for decades. It's nice to actually see a feasible concept being put into use.

What I would like to see however, is a device that can tap into the vast amounts of ambient cosmic radiation that permeate throughout everything.

Now that would be a sight to behold.

We would have to change our attitudes though because with such limitless energy we would destroy ourselves.

Just because we have endless energy doesn't mean that humanity will overcome jealousy, revenge, spite, etc overnight.

Our attitudes need to be straightened out first before we get our hands on such potentials, otherwise it be the last thing we touch.

When is this suppose to happen by the way? It seems like this won't happen for atleast 10-20 years.

reply to post by The_Undertaker


I believe that a star would turn into a black hole only if it had enough mass to collapse in on itself under it's own gravity well after it runs out of fuel. If it doesn't have enough mass I think it turns into just a real dense brown dwarf or something. Not 100% on this though.

But not all stars will collapse to a black hole.