A research centre in Romania activated the world’s most powerful laser, which promises revolutionary advances in everything from the health sector to space.
- The project is part of the European Union’s Infrastructure ELI project.
- The laser at the centre, near the Romanian capital Bucharest, is operated by French company Thales, using Nobel prize-winning inventions.
- France’s Gerard Mourou and Donna Strickland of Canada won the 2018 Nobel Physics Prize for harnessing the power of lasers for advanced precision instruments.
- Possible applications of this powerful lasers include treating nuclear waste by reducing the duration of its radioactivity, or cleaning up the debris accumulating out in space.