"To demonstrate that the type of fusion studied at NIF can be a viable way of producing energy, the efficiency of the yield — the energy released compared to th

"To demonstrate that the type of fusion studied at NIF can be a viable way of producing energy, the efficiency of the yield — the energy released compared to the energy that goes into producing the laser pulses — needs to grow by at least two orders of magnitude." Lots of claims on HN that we were one order of magnitude away. Similar claims were made in other threads made about how we were really close to commercialization with better lasers. This article has the right take, this research is valuable but its impossible to say anything about whether indirect intertial confinement fusion is commercially viable. Best case scenario [1], we still have a way to go. [1]: An Assessment of the Prospects for Inertial Fusion Energy (2013)