Something from nothing 
The mass of helium nuclei is less than the sum of its components (2 protons + 2 neutrons) with the difference being the nuclear binding energy (the energy required to split the nucleus into its components). So if you can reverse the process and combine those components into a helium nucleus then there will be a release of energy. With the Sun, the gravitational effect of its huge mass, creates high enough temperatures and pressure in its core to push the components close enough together that the strong attractive short-range nuclear force overcomes the electric force that wants to pull the components apart. This ability to 'squeeze' the components together means the process isn't "something from nothing".
In a Lab, you obviously don't have anywhere the mass equivalent of the Sun to rely on gravitational effects. You need to use other means to push the components together (ie. either strong magnets or lasers). What these latest experiments were able to do, is yield more energy from the fusion process than what they used to push the components (the heavier hydrogen isotopes deuterium and tritium are used as the "fussion fuel") together. The major issue still yet to be solved is that, unlike the Sun which confines and maintains the fusion process within its core due to gravity from its large mass, you can't confine and maintain the fusion process within the magnets/lasers in the Lab for any usefully significant period. It leaks out and the confinement of the fusion process only lasts a fraction of a second.
In two experiments described by the researchers that took place in September and November of last year, more energy came out of the fusion fuel than was deposited into it, but it was still less than the total amount deposited into the target.
The deuterium-tritium implosions were more stable than previously achieved. The researchers did so by doubling the laser power earlier in the laser pulse than in earlier tries.
The fusion-energy yield was increased by about tenfold from past experiments, in a series that started last May. One of the experiments produced more than half of the so-called Lawson criteria needed to reach ignition - but only about one-100th of the energy needed for ignition.Read more:
http://www.smh.com.au/technology/sci-tech/scientists-achieve-turning-point-in-fusion-energy-quest-20140213-32jii.html#ixzz2tJNh17ho
