It uses lasers to beam power from one place to another, but it too faces regulatory difficulties.

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That means the beam produced is of higher quality than other lasers, is extremely straight (even by the exacting standards of a normal laser beam) and can thus be focused onto a small area.

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If we used a bank of high-powered lasers, we could beam a high-bandwidth message across the cosmos.

FORBES

Lasers use a light beam to cut away tooth decay before filling cavities, resulting in less vibration and pain than traditional drills, says Barry Jacobson, a pediatric dentist at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York.

WSJ: To Cut Tooth Decay: A Laser vs. a Drill

Additional applications will likely include lasers, radio frequency weapons and particle beam weapons.

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The hassle of having to explode a nuclear bomb every time a beam was needed meant the idea never went anywhere, though it did spur research into high-powered chemical lasers and the sophisticated optics needed to aim and control them.

ECONOMIST: Energy weapons: Zap, crackle and pop | The