"the amount of energy released through the fusion reaction exceeded the amount of energy being absorbed by the fuel" isn't breakeven. The fuel doesn't absorb an

"the amount of energy released through the fusion reaction exceeded the amount of energy being absorbed by the fuel" isn't breakeven. The fuel doesn't absorb anywhere near 100% of the energy put in. They're nowhere near breakeven. From the actual announcement[1]: "The NIF laser focuses 1.7 megajoules of UV light onto the cylinder, or hohlraum, that contains the fuel. Only a few kilojoules of that energy actually winds up in the plasma. "Most of the energy that the laser transfers is wasted on heating up the gold hohlraum, then heating up the plastic, and only a very small fraction of the energy actually heats up the thermonuclear fuel," says Betti." [1] http://www.physicstoday.org/daily_edition/politics_and_policy/lab_reports_big_advance_in_laser_fusion_quest?type=PTFAVE http://www.physicstoday.org/daily_edition/politics_and_polic...