The National Ignition Facility

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The National Ignition Facility uses 192 separate lasers to try to trigger a fusion reaction. The facility was used as the set of Star Trek into darkness. When NIF isn't working on fusion, it does nuclear weapons work. It's one of the most powerful scientific instruments ever developed.

Back in January, we spoke to a scientist at the National Ignition Facility about how close they were to achieving what’s been called “one of the most impressive scientific feats of the 21st century.” This week, they announced they’ve finally done it.

A version of this episode originally ran on January 5, 2022.

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