Right, sooo would you say there's a long ways to go? I recognize this is a big step but it's not like viable fusion power is suddenly a lot closer. I want it as much as anyone I think cheap power is the solution to many of humanity's wide scale problems.

More energy was produced by the fuel pellet than what was provided by the laser which is what the experiment was about, that is a big deal but the laser uses way more energy than what actually gets to the fuel pellet. This is like a small proof of concept step in the right direction but not a sign that mass fusion power is a few years or even decades away.

The experiment used 400+MJ to make 3.15MJ and is insanely expensive, there's a long way to go.