Scientists just fired the most powerful laser in the world, at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's National Ignition Facility. It's a 10 story laser. It is the most powerful laser ever recorded.

On July 5th, the scientists fired the 192 constituent laser beams simultaneously, before focussing them down onto a circular target just 2 millimeters in diameter. The laser beam transmitted 500 trillion watts. Is this the beginning of the Death Star, we wonder?

The plan is to use the high powered laser to kick start nuclear fusion reactions. Or so they say. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory via Popular Science]