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Inside the World's Most Powerful Laser |
 This
thumbnail looks like a hornet's nest, but it is actually the target
chamber of the world's most powerful laser which resides in the
National Ignition Facility test facility at Lawrence Livermore National
Laboratory in California (something
the government does right). The laser recently achieved a 500
TW pulse, which for a brief moment is more power than the entire U.S.
uses at any instant. I look at the photos of all the machinery and electronics
involved and, as with the Large Hadron Collider and similar installations,
am in awe of the people who design, build, and operate them. Many of
those people spend all their waking hours creating and exploiting their
contraptions while often sacrificing relationships, health, and other
opportunities. The world has been built on the backs of hard workers
of all disciplines. We (yes, I include
myself) are the 50%.
Posted January 2013
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