IEE Article Review 381 The article I decided to review was an article about how a research laboratory in California was able to create nuclear fusion using an incredibly concentrated laser. This is important because we need to find alternative fuels to power our society that do not emit excessive amounts of pollutants such as carbon emissions or nuclear waste. In the article it is mentioned that this laser was able to create more energy than it used, so it can be used to generate energy. The other process I want to mention as a pretext is the nuclear fission of U-235 and U-238. The difference between these two operations is that they operate on the respective particles mentioned above and also U-235, which is what we currently use, creates nuclear waste while U-238 does not. Another fact about this process is that U-235 makes up 0.702% of uranium while U-238 makes up 99.724%. Now, the reason I mentioned these processes is to provide a snapshot of where we are, nuclear fission of U-235, and where we are going, laser-induced fusion or fission of U-238. These two distinct processes that the future holds are very different, and ultimately, using the analysis we learned in class, I believe that nuclear fission of U-238 is the direction we should be pushing. Now, to begin this analysis, I will look at the RDdmaic of our current way of generating U-235 nuclear fission. To start we need to identify where the process is on the product mix versus volume graph. It is clear that the processes analyzed concern the mass production of energy. There is no variability in the process and it must produce a huge amount to be effective. We will then ask the three necessary questions when we get... to the middle of the paper... The most common type of reactor involves the fission of U-235 which is an inefficient process with much room for improvement. The future could be laser-induced nuclear fusion or U-238 fission. While both may fit the “should be” model from a lean perspective, U-238 fission is a more viable option for the future of the energy industry. Works Cited Brumfiel, Geoff. "Scientists say their giant laser produced nuclear fusion." NPR.NPR, February 12, 2014. Web. February 15, 2014. Wald, Matthew L. “Atomic Target: 800 Years of Energy from Waste.” Nytimes.com. NewYork Times, September 24, 2013. Web. February 15, 2014. “Fast Neutron Reactors.” World-nuclear.org. World Nuclear Association, n.d. Web. 17 February 2014. Brain, Marshall, and Robert Lamb. "How nuclear energy works." HowStuffWorks.HowStuffWorks.com, 09 October 2000. Web. 15 February 2014. IEE 381 Lecture