It also provides a crucial glimpse into the prospects for the re-ignition of job creation and American prosperity.

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One Dirk Nowitizki fadeaway, one Chris Paul three, one Blake Griffin thunder-dunk may be all it takes to re-light the ignition.

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There's not much more to it than that, and a quick stab at the ignition, a first-time roar from the exhaust and we're off, in search of the Joshua Tree National Park and a little bit of extremeweather testing.

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The flames themselves are "beautiful things, they're live things but they're also dangerous things", he said, adding they involve control equipment, valve trains, burners and ignition systems.

BBC: UK