Hot enough for ya?

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

Am I completely jaded or does this story sound like bullsht to anyone else? How could they contain something that hot? How do they measure it? It doesn't make sense.

I don't know for sure about the 'Z machine' in the article, but in general the technique used to hold super-duper-really-hot-ouch-ouch plasma is a magnetic bubble. The plasma is formed inside a sphere of superconducting magnets that force the plasma to essentially float in the center.

As for recording the temp. I'm going wtih €'s really big thermometer.

For me the interesting part of the article is: "Also, when the high temperature was achieved, the Z machine was releasing more energy than was originally put in". Now that rocks! If we can use it to power our mp3 players, DVD's, and big screens then I say we take the chance of a run away reaction that fries the atmosphere. I don't go outside that much anyway.