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[palsch]

Another thought: If this laser is going to be that powerful, won't it melt itself when its fired? I thought one of the major physical limitations to the output of lasers was that they'd boil their mirrors away and not work.

This (or something like it; often it's not mirrors but other components that are fragile) is why major lasers like this combine multiple beams.

At no time will the full beam be passed through any given lasing chamber or material. At most you need one lens to focus the multiple beams. More likely you just aim them all at the same target as with inertial fusion lasers like the NIF.

[Necro910]

Another thought: If this laser is going to be that powerful, won't it melt itself when its fired? I thought one of the major physical limitations to the output of lasers was that they'd boil their mirrors away and not work.

This (or something like it; often it's not mirrors but other components that are fragile) is why major lasers like this combine multiple beams.

At no time will the full beam be passed through any given lasing chamber or material. At most you need one lens to focus the multiple beams. More likely you just aim them all at the same target as with inertial fusion lasers like the NIF.

See: Death Star

[RedKing]

My complete ass-pull prediction: We'll find that the fabric of spacetime is much like the skin of a balloon, and this laser will melt a hole in the cosmic balloon, causing it to fly around wildly for several seconds while making colossal rude noises.

This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP

[Leafsnail]

Why?  Why would you build this thing?  How are you even going to use it, when it requires more electricity to run than the whole planet produces?

Well, essentially they're delivering a pretty damn small amount of energy very quickly.  Less than 2kJ, even (so uh... about 3 seconds of lightbulb).  So an array of batteries would be fine.

[scriver]

My complete ass-pull prediction: We'll find that the fabric of spacetime is much like the skin of a balloon, and this laser will melt a hole in the cosmic balloon, causing it to fly around wildly for several seconds while making colossal rude noises.

This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
This is the way the world ends
Not with a bang but a BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP

Well, then I'm happy I still have my childish humor left, as I'll get to die happily, laughing manically for the last second of my existance.

[Loud Whispers]

This is most splendid.

[timotheus]

If they fire it up, and then then Spock comes walking through the rift I am pooping myself.

[nenjin]

/Gozer

"Choose.....choose the form of the destructor!"

/Gozer

[Jelle]

I don't see what all the science mocking is about, I would say this could yield some very interesting results. Conditions more  extreme  then can be found in  the sun, in a controlled environment ready to be measured? Yes please!
I don't like this whole fabric of space time thing though. Either I'm uneducated or it's a very vague concept. A fabric? Like some sort of textile? Made out of what?
Anyho, yay progress!

Wait so if I understand this right, the goal is to reverse the process of matter and antimatter disapating one another by blasting a whole lot of energy into a very small area? Gah I don't know enough about this stuff, but it does sound interesting. Wether it'll work is something else. 

[MetalSlimeHunt]

I don't like this whole fabric of space time thing though. Either I'm uneducated or it's a very vague concept. A fabric? Like some sort of textile? Made out of what?

Reality.

[Osmosis Jones]

The 'fabric of spacetime' is just a turn of phrase. There isn't actually a *Giant Cave Spider Silk Cloth* underlaying everything

Basically, all this experiment is doing, as Another outlined on the other page, is turning energy into matter. In this case, turning it into matter for long enough to measure the properties of said matter. The science side of it is interesting, but ultimately not hugely revolutionary.

However, the thing about scientists is, we're geeks. When we have a chance to build a GIANT LASER that can overcome QUANTUM ANNIHILATION, we get excited

[ECrownofFire]

Do note that this experiment has been done many times before.

Just not on this FUCKING HUGE scale.

[IronyOwl]

AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Thank you, Science, and thank you, Scientists. Thank you for never being afraid to ask for vast amounts of money to build a groundbreaking death laser intended to annihilate space.

[MetalSlimeHunt]

Thank you, Science, and thank you, Scientists. Thank you for never being afraid to ask for vast amounts of money to build a groundbreaking death laser intended to annihilate space.

I can only imagine what they had to say to the people who don't understand the exact science of this in order to get funding.

"Yes, we need a couple hundred million dollars to build this new laser."
"Wait, what is the laser for?"
"Well....we kind of need to blow something up with it."
"Really, what?"
".....Space."
"..."
"..."
"Fund it!"

[UltraValican]

I don't want to be that guy, but the worlds goverments really need to shut this down.