Update on the Scientific Status of the Plasma Focus

This paper is a sequel to the 1998 review “Scientific status of Dense Plasma Focus” with 16 authors belonging nations, whose initiative led establishment International Center for Magnetized Plasmas (ICDMP) in year 2000. Its focus on understanding principal defining characteristic features plasma light developments that have taken place last 20 years, terms new facilities, diagnostics, models, and insights. Although it too soon proclaim certainty what phenomenon is, results available date conclusively indicate demonstrably not. The looks at experimental data, cross-correlated across multiple diagnostics devices, delineate contours an emerging narrative fascinatingly different from standard narrative, which has guided consensus community several decades, without invalidating it. It raises question mark over Fundamental Premise Controlled Fusion Research, namely, any fusion reaction having character beam-target process must necessarily be more inefficient than thermonuclear confined thermal suitably high temperature. Open questions need attention researchers are highlighted. A future course action suggested individual laboratories could adopt order positively influence growth research this field, general benefit not only controlled but also world large.