Back to Emmett Brown...

Source: Back to the Future Wikia

Marty: "Wait a minute, what are you doing, Doc?"

Doc: "I need fuel!"

— Marty and Doc while Doc refuels Mr. Fusion with garbage

Yes, I flashed back to the end of the first in the trilogy - I saw it with my cousin in Atlanta, Georgia just after graduation and commission in the US Air Force. It was 1985...I was young...I had hair...

Source: Nice Kicks web site

Largely due to previous reports of cold fusion back in the late 80's and being a fan of the National Ignition Facility, I casually viewed this story with some caution...at a considerable distance.

However, Lockheed is not a fly-by-night outfit as aerospace defense contractor, and I doubt their reactor will use ordinary garbage. The claim that it could develop a portable "Mr. Fusion" if successful will address energy needs, potentially diffuse global tensions over resources and unfortunately, bring out the less than savory that will mount a clear defense against it in favor of the current fossil fuel/scarcity economy status quo. This is similar to the spirited defense Thomas Edison gave of direct current by showing the dangers of alternating current electrocuting elephants. Tesla: 1; Edison: 0, and we are all using alternating current with no deleterious effects. I sincerely hope it doesn't come to that inhumane extreme.

I will reserve some skepticism and guarded optimism: the division of Lockheed working on this is "Skunk Works." It has a registered trademark, so I don't think it's a Nerd prank, just a PR faux pas. Link below; stay tuned...

Phys.org: Lockheed Martin pursues compact fusion reactor concept, Nancy Owano