--- title: "New Lasers May Be Powerful Enough to Drill a Hole in Reality" description: "Paper Cutter The prestigious academic physics journal Physical Review Letters published a paper this week about cutting-edge laser tech. The paper itself is dry and technical, but the prominent tech blog Ars Technica‘s interpretation of its findings is anything but. According to Ars, in fact, the tech it describes could pulse a laser “through fabric […]" date: "2019-09-17" modified: "2019-09-17" authors: - name: "Jon Christian" job_title: "Executive Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jonc" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/lasers-drill-hole-reality" categories: - "Science & Energy" tags: - "lasers" - "reality" - "the digest" - "universe" --- # New Lasers May Be Powerful Enough to Drill a Hole in Reality ![According to Ars Technica, cutting-edge research into ultra-powerful lasers could pulse a laser "through fabric of the Universe."]() *\Image: Images via Pixabay/Victor Tangermann\* ## Paper Cutter The prestigious academic physics journal *Physical Review Letters* published [a paper]() this week about cutting-edge laser tech — and, if bloggers are to be believed, it could have juicy ramifications. The paper itself is dry and technical, but the prominent tech blog *Ars Technica*'s [interpretation of its findings]() is anything but. According to *Ars*, in fact, the tech it describes could pulse a laser "through fabric of the Universe." ## Plasma Mirror A key problem with [super-powerful lasers](), according to *Ars'* explanation, is that they tend to shred anything you use to focus the beam. The idea behind the paper, by a researcher at the Université Paris-Saclay, is that you could use a mirror made out of plasma — you know, the ultra-hot stuff the Sun is made out of — to focus the beam. ## From Beyond And if they can pull that off, according to *Ars* — we should point out again that this all sounds very hypothetical — the laser could tear into "the very fabric of space and time." "Will it work in reality? I think so," wrote *Ars* writer Chris Lee. "Then, of course, they can all stare in wonder at the hole they made." **READ MORE:** [Trampoline mirror may push laser pulse through fabric of the Universe]() \[*Ars Technica*\] **More on reality:** [*Physicists Are Starting to Suspect Physical Reality Is an Illusion*]() ## Author I'm responsible for editing, assigning, and scouting at Futurism, as well as occasionally writing for the site. That work involves keeping an eye on a wide range of narratives and issues, but over the past few years I've become increasingly interested in how AI is shaping the future of media, the web, and information itself. My day-to-day often involves collaborating on reporting and commentary projects bylined by my colleagues, but I try to find time to do my own reporting as well; stories I've broken for Futurism have been cited by publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Wired, Ars Technica, New York Magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, and more. I grew up in Southern Vermont and attended Vanderbilt University. Prior to Futurism, I contributed to outlets including the Boston Globe, Vice, Wired, Slate, the Atlantic, the Outline, Ars Technica and more, and did stints in farming and food service. I currently live in Brooklyn, New York, and in my free time I enjoy pinball, word games, cycling, running, and music production. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()