ForumsWEPRSuper Laser Equals Death Star!?

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Crazy_Chris_84
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Crazy_Chris_84
139 posts
Peasant

I have found an interesting story to share with you!

I first found this out on Comedy Central, The Colbert Report. Copy and paste this link in your search bar and watch the first four minutes of the episode.

http://www.comedycentral.com/colbertreport/full-episodes/index.jhtml?episodeId=229547

I have the link for the article as well. It is from The Raw Story. It is mentioned in the video.

http://rawstory.com/08/afp/2009/05/30/us-lab-debuts-super-laser/

When I first found out about this I was amazed!

So what do you think of that?

  • 21 Replies
DDX
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DDX
3,562 posts
Nomad

wasnt deathstar the size of a planet?

I don't think the super laser would be that big.

Crazy_Chris_84
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Crazy_Chris_84
139 posts
Peasant

I do not remember if it was the size of a planet, but it is a Death-Star-like weapon on a smaller scale.

Anyway, if you wish to read the article, may I offer a suitable back ground music to listen to while you read. It is from You Tube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bzWSJG93P8

FireflyIV
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FireflyIV
3,224 posts
Nomad

wasnt deathstar the size of a planet?


Not a planet, a moon.

That's no moon. It's a space station.

-Ol' Ben Kenobi
DDX
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DDX
3,562 posts
Nomad

-Ol' Ben Kenobi


too bad he died

But the super laser is quite intriguing. Especially when it can also be used in safe fusion.
drsexypepper
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drsexypepper
85 posts
Nomad

I doubt it does more than heat up one spot. We still have a ways to go before we blow anything up.

VoltCruelerz
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VoltCruelerz
501 posts
Nomad

Even so, The amount of energy you would need would be far more than the Death Star when it comes to destroying the planet, (not to mention the fact that the DS would just make a giant hole through the planet...) If it was a particle beam instead, you could at least leave a multi-hundred mile wide crater and change then kill everyone over the next few days... You still would not blow it up unless you fired a 60 metric ton object that was made of antimatter... That is the amount of energy necessary to destroy a planet... 120metric tons converted into energy is the bare minimum for destroying a planet...

At any rate, the purpose of all those lasers is to start hot fusion (and keep it going). We have made cold fusion possible, but it is not terribly efficient... It only has an output of 100.005% of the energy you put in (or a profit of .005%). Just looking at a star, its not hard to tell that hot fusion is going to pay off more though.. Problem is, its hard to contain... Stars use gravity so they don't need massive electromagnets.. Unfortunately, we do so ours will be far less efficient...

Flipski
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Flipski
623 posts
Nomad

lol I like how the instant you guys here super laser, it's "DEATHSTAR!!!" lol. I think it's awesome that we are making progress in nuclear fusion research. Hopefully within my lifetime it will become a reality.

keeton52
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keeton52
928 posts
Nomad

No Super lazer equals shoop da woop

VoltCruelerz
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VoltCruelerz
501 posts
Nomad

Well, nukes will still be around, no one will want to use them, but they will be around. You are correct about the laser part. Scientists can and have made handheld laser systems, but the problem is power. Currently, there is no energy storage system large enough (in V and Amps) and small enough (size) to power them. Once this problem is resolved, you can expect there to be a whole lot of coherent energy weapons coming out.

More than likely, the power system will end up being developed by SARCOS as they are currently making the world's first combat exoskeleton. The suit itself works just fine, and really now they need to start working on armor, which shouldn't be too much trouble and then after that, you get the whole power issue... SARCOS is having to develop a brand new type of battery that is more than ten times as efficient as a lithium battery of the same size in order to power the suit.

dudeguy45
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dudeguy45
2,917 posts
Peasant

It just burns.

Crazy_Chris_84
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Crazy_Chris_84
139 posts
Peasant

SICKNESS! ALL WE NEED IS A COLLECTION OF ALIEN SPECIES TO COME AND ATTACK US!....wait no!

Ha! Ha! Ha! I for one, are confident that we will be able to take them on.

Pixie214
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Pixie214
5,838 posts
Peasant

Hopefully within my lifetime it will become a reality.


I might be a bit out but I thought projections for commercial nuclear fusion was 20-30 years. Either I'm underestimating by alot, your lying about your age or your a pessimist

I think it is a US team using lasers for nuclear fusion. It is very impressive stuff, the light beam has to be so fine and focused to get up to temp and even then they only use liny amounts of hydrogen.
BlackSonne
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BlackSonne
86 posts
Nomad

Jesus christ.


A laser is just amount of light focused in one point. Laser= light focused and more powerful.

Do you know how many energy that means? You can make a powerful laser just with the laser of your dvd reader in your computer. But as much it can make someone blind or make fire something.


Super mega laser is not death star. It can't be that powerful, nor destructive, nor big. And amount of energy for be powerful as a nuke just can't be. I'd be more afraid of something like hydrogen bombs than a little laser in space which shot would be just a few moments.

Pixie214
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Pixie214
5,838 posts
Peasant

hydrogen bombs


Lasers could be used to make a hydrogen bomb. Since now you use a fission bomb to make x-rays which make the bomb go (I think). The inertial confinement in fusion is controlled but the same and the lasers are huge but so well focused they can reach incredible heat. These things have to fuse hydrogen and that takes alot of energy.
Maverick4
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Maverick4
6,800 posts
Peasant

The deathstar in Starwars, was actually based off of a scientific discorvery in the '60's. In space, an object about the size of a marshmellow floats around, and when it comes in contact with another object, say... a moon, the marshemellow explodes, releasing UV rays. George lucas bumped the size up (who would watch a movie with a marshemllow of doom?), and made the lazer visible.

I saw this on History Channel, one of those shows about how George Lucas made starwars. Pod races were designed after roman chariots...

Green is a color...

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