In Hot Pursuit of Fusion (or Folly).

Here in a dry California valley, outside a small town, a cathedral of light is to be dedicated on Friday. Like the cathedrals of antiquity, it is built on an unrivaled scale with unmatched technology, and it embodies a scientific doctrine that, if confirmed, might lift civilization to new heights. ''Bringing Star Power to Earth'' reads a giant banner that was recently unfurled across a building the size of a football stadium. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]