From Atoms to Lasers: the Future of Energy Sources

As the world has moved through the ages, it has developed better and better sources of energy to fuel its progressive needs. First man had fire, then water, hot water (steam), coal, oil, and so on and so forth. Then you come to WWII and Dr. Robert Oppenheimer, the genius that provided the world with energy through the itsy bitsy atom. Now, welcome to the 21st century. We have lasers. Many believe that lasers will provide the trigger for controlled fusion. Fusion is the friend the world has long waited for to provide seemingly endless energy. And now we are closer than ever to getting it.

from LightsMakerStudios

In the 20th century the world has engineered many great and marvelous ideas, but one of the most widely used came from Charles Townes who gave the world the laser. This marvelous new form of light has since found use in nearly every aspect of modern life from communication to health to energy.

About the same time Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer worked out the process of nuclear fission, that is the splitting of the atom. (Go here for a recent post on the atom.) This, as he discovered, released large quantities of energy. To be used for good or evil.

Following Dr. Oppenheimer's work, the process of fusion has gained ground in the future of global energy. There are several barriers to even have fusion break even, however lasers and other new discoveries have helped move the process along.

Greenieweenie's blog post, "Sandia National Laboratory may get nuclear fusion to work...soon." holds a upbeat tone for the future.

For myself, I have great confidence in the people around me, and hope that some day we can learn to live on this Earth without actively destroying it.