NationStates

Japan claims to have fired the most powerful laser ever created.
Researchers in Osaka were able to produce a 2-petawatt laser beam using a device known as the Laser for Fast Ignition Experiment (LFEX).
The power of the 'Death Star'-like beam is equivalent to 1,000 times the world's total electricity consumption, the scientists claim.

While it produced a huge amount of power, the energy required for the beam itself is equivalent to that needed to power a microwave for two seconds.
The team were able to produce such a high output from low energy by only firing the laser beam for 1 pico-second, or a trillionth of a second.

To amplify the beam's power, energy was applied to strategically-placed glass panels along the 328ft (100 metre)-long LFEX device.
These glass lamps were able focus the beam to boost its energy as it passed through.

'With heated competition in the world to improve the performance of lasers, our goal now is to increase our output to 10 petawatts,' said the institute's Junji Kawanaka, an associate professor of electrical engineering at the university
To put that into context, according to Popular Science, a 50,000 watt laser successfully took down a drone just a mile away.
That 50kW laser was 10 billion times less powerful that the one used in Japan.
Up until today's announcement, the world has only ever witnessed a 1-pettawatt laser created by the University of Texas, Austin.
Not only did the Japanese laser generate twice as much power, but the team says it also has 100 times as much energy as its Texas rival.
The laser, liked to the Death Star laser in Star Wars, is currently mainly of scientific interest rather than having any real-world purpose.

Dominated Earth wrote:Okay not really a death star, but anything this thing is pointed at would most definitely have a very bad day.

Japan claims to have fired the most powerful laser ever created.
Researchers in Osaka were able to produce a 2-petawatt laser beam using a device known as the Laser for Fast Ignition Experiment (LFEX).
The power of the 'Death Star'-like beam is equivalent to 1,000 times the world's total electricity consumption, the scientists claim.

While it produced a huge amount of power, the energy required for the beam itself is equivalent to that needed to power a microwave for two seconds.
The team were able to produce such a high output from low energy by only firing the laser beam for 1 pico-second, or a trillionth of a second.

To amplify the beam's power, energy was applied to strategically-placed glass panels along the 328ft (100 metre)-long LFEX device.
These glass lamps were able focus the beam to boost its energy as it passed through.

'With heated competition in the world to improve the performance of lasers, our goal now is to increase our output to 10 petawatts,' said the institute's Junji Kawanaka, an associate professor of electrical engineering at the university
To put that into context, according to Popular Science, a 50,000 watt laser successfully took down a drone just a mile away.
That 50kW laser was 10 billion times less powerful that the one used in Japan.
Up until today's announcement, the world has only ever witnessed a 1-pettawatt laser created by the University of Texas, Austin.
Not only did the Japanese laser generate twice as much power, but the team says it also has 100 times as much energy as its Texas rival.
The laser, liked to the Death Star laser in Star Wars, is currently mainly of scientific interest rather than having any real-world purpose.

Source

So what does everyone think? Whilst it has no use at the moment, I personally believe this big ass laser is a stepping stone towards our technologically advanced future. Especially with it's implications in fusion and cooling things.

The Serbian Empire wrote:If this can be harnessed for hours, we can power the world.

Dominated Earth wrote:Okay not really a death star, but anything this thing is pointed at would most definitely have a very bad day.

Geilinor wrote:

The Serbian Empire wrote:If this can be harnessed for hours, we can power the world.

One beam can power the world for 1,000 years, we just need a way to transport it. Science!

Geilinor wrote:

The Serbian Empire wrote:If this can be harnessed for hours, we can power the world.

One beam can power the world for 1,000 years, we just need a way to transport it. Science!

Dominated Earth wrote:Okay not really a death star, but anything this thing is pointed at would most definitely have a very bad day.

Japan claims to have fired the most powerful laser ever created.
Researchers in Osaka were able to produce a 2-petawatt laser beam using a device known as the Laser for Fast Ignition Experiment (LFEX).
The power of the 'Death Star'-like beam is equivalent to 1,000 times the world's total electricity consumption, the scientists claim.

While it produced a huge amount of power, the energy required for the beam itself is equivalent to that needed to power a microwave for two seconds.
The team were able to produce such a high output from low energy by only firing the laser beam for 1 pico-second, or a trillionth of a second.

To amplify the beam's power, energy was applied to strategically-placed glass panels along the 328ft (100 metre)-long LFEX device.
These glass lamps were able focus the beam to boost its energy as it passed through.

'With heated competition in the world to improve the performance of lasers, our goal now is to increase our output to 10 petawatts,' said the institute's Junji Kawanaka, an associate professor of electrical engineering at the university
To put that into context, according to Popular Science, a 50,000 watt laser successfully took down a drone just a mile away.
That 50kW laser was 10 billion times less powerful that the one used in Japan.
Up until today's announcement, the world has only ever witnessed a 1-pettawatt laser created by the University of Texas, Austin.
Not only did the Japanese laser generate twice as much power, but the team says it also has 100 times as much energy as its Texas rival.
The laser, liked to the Death Star laser in Star Wars, is currently mainly of scientific interest rather than having any real-world purpose.

Source

So what does everyone think? Whilst it has no use at the moment, I personally believe this big ass laser is a stepping stone towards our technologically advanced future. Especially with it's implications in fusion and cooling things.

Dominated Earth wrote:Okay not really a death star, but anything this thing is pointed at would most definitely have a very bad day.

Japan claims to have fired the most powerful laser ever created.
Researchers in Osaka were able to produce a 2-petawatt laser beam using a device known as the Laser for Fast Ignition Experiment (LFEX).
The power of the 'Death Star'-like beam is equivalent to 1,000 times the world's total electricity consumption, the scientists claim.

Up until today's announcement, the world has only ever witnessed a 1-pettawatt laser created by the University of Texas, Austin.

Iwassoclose wrote:

Geilinor wrote:One beam can power the world for 1,000 years, we just need a way to transport it. Science!

Whoever invents a battery to store that much energy will be god.

Iwassoclose wrote:

Geilinor wrote:One beam can power the world for 1,000 years, we just need a way to transport it. Science!

Whoever invents a battery to store that much energy will be god.

Risottia wrote:

Dominated Earth wrote:Okay not really a death star, but anything this thing is pointed at would most definitely have a very bad day.

Japan claims to have fired the most powerful laser ever created.
Researchers in Osaka were able to produce a 2-petawatt laser beam using a device known as the Laser for Fast Ignition Experiment (LFEX).
The power of the 'Death Star'-like beam is equivalent to 1,000 times the world's total electricity consumption, the scientists claim.

Scientists wouldn't claim that you can compare power to energy.

Nice, though - although I still think that our best shot at fusion power is the ITER tokamak.

Up until today's announcement, the world has only ever witnessed a 1-pettawatt laser created by the University of Texas, Austin.

ELI is coming.
http://www.eli-laser.eu/
The ELI facilities near Prague are aiming for 10²³ W/cm². Friend of mine works there. High energy physics and Czech beer... they do mix and they mix well!

Dragvania wrote:I am still taking this claim with a grain of salt. No other than Japan has seen it so they could be lying. Can still keep out some wishful thinking of the uses of such a devise though assuming they use it to generally improve the world.

New Werpland wrote:This sounds like Reagan's star wars finally came true, and if so can we use it to get rid of Putin?

Risottia wrote:

New Werpland wrote:This sounds like Reagan's star wars finally came true, and if so can we use it to get rid of Putin?

Actually no. Don't mistake power for energy: with the energy delivered by that laser, you would have problems lighting a match.

The Serbian Empire wrote:If this can be harnessed for hours, we can power the world.

Vistulange wrote:

The Serbian Empire wrote:If this can be harnessed for hours, we can power the world.

Because we humans have shown incredible capacity to use such things for peaceful uses first.

Nope, we definitely have to blow up a few things and perhaps cause horrible accidents before we learn our lesson.