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View Full Version : Engadget University of Michigan creates most intense laser in the universe


Feeds
02-16-2008, 10:33 PM
<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.engadget.com/category/gadgets/" rel="tag">Misc. Gadgets</a></p><div align="center"><a href="http://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/story.php?id=6346"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.engadget.com/media/2008/02/2-16-08-hercules-laser.jpg" /></a><br /></div>
Rest assured, we've seen some wicked frickin' lasers in our day, but apparently, even the <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2007/03/25/two-killowatt-laser-heats-coffee-wows-onlookers/">two-kilowatt rendition</a> that heats coffee in mere seconds can't hold a <strike>candle</strike> ray of light to HERCULES. Intentionally named in all caps by University of Michigan gurus in order to highlight its awesomeness, said laser contains 300 terawatts of power (or 300 times the capacity of the entire US electricity grid) and could "help scientists develop better proton and electron beams for radiation treatment of cancer." Still, we can't help but conclude with UMich's own description of this masterpiece: "If you could hold a giant magnifying glass in space and focus all the sunlight shining toward Earth onto one grain of sand, that concentrated ray would approach the intensity of [HERCULES]." Damn.<br /><br />[Via <a href="http://www.physorg.com/news122298608.html">Physorg</a>]<p style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;">&nbsp;</p><p><a href=http://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/story.php?id=6346>Read</a> | <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/16/university-of-michigan-creates-most-intense-laser-in-the-univers/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a> | <a href="http://www.engadget.com/forward/1116886/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a> | <a href="http://www.engadget.com/2008/02/16/university-of-michigan-creates-most-intense-laser-in-the-univers/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a></p><hr />
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ferris wheel junkie
02-17-2008, 08:02 AM
pretty soon they'll use it for time travel.

i saw a documentary about lasers and time travel. it must be true.

something about spinning and wormholes and space.

this one could probably re-heat your beer too.