The goal in all this is to create the elusive "burn," a self-sustaining nuclear fusion reaction that produces more energy than is used by the laser beams.

Many researchers harbor dreams of fusion power plants fueling the 21st century. Such plants would not produce climate-changing gases, and they would create far less radioactive waste than current nuclear fission power plants; what's more, the fusion waste would be dangerous for only 50 to 100 years.

If NIF is successful, it could point the way towards a future with nearly limitless energy.