Laser research and applications

Development of directed energy weapons -- the principal application of which is defense against offensive nuclear weapons -- might move the superpowers into a postnuclear era and offers the potential to effect a dramatic shift in strategic military posture. Development of fusion energy, for which laser technology offers promise rivaling magnetic confinement, will provide an inexhaustible supply of electricity without the adverse externalities associated with conventional nuclear and coal power generation. Laser fiber optics wideband communications technology is destined to provide home and office 'communications centers'. Laser technology seems certain to revolutionize chemistry, facilitating chemical compositions and decompositions. The technology shows considerable promise in potential civilian space applications, such as remote sensing of the Earth and its environment, power transmission, and space vehicle propulsion.