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Researchers have developed a way to transmit a powerful laser beam further than previously possible—and have proposed the idea of using it to control lightning.To create the powerful beam, the team embedded a powerful laser beam within a second, less powerful beam called a dress beam. The dress beam's long and constant range "refuels" the first beam and allows it to travel a longer distance quickly and without bending. In lab tests, the new beam traveled a distance of seven feet, which is much further than the undressed versions.Because the beam generates ionized molecules as they travel through the air, the new technology could be used as a high-tech way to control lightning strikes. The ionized particles create an easy path for lightning to follow, and the beams could be used to divert lightning bolts to less populated areas.