Happy 48th birthday to "the laser"

by Rob Peters | May 16, 2008 at 07:21 pm | 1493 views | 43 comments

Imagine where we'd be without the laser. I'm not really smart enough to tell you, but the laserless life surely would be different. At the very least we wouldn't have cds, or Pink Floyd light shows, or eye surgery, or laser tag, or Transformers, or Star Trek, or Mike Meyers super-villains.

Fun Fact: Laser stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Shouldn't it be L.A.S.E.R. then? That would be annoying actually.

Back on May 16 in 1960 Theodore Maiman did something special by inventing the world’s first laser, so today we celebrate its 48th birthday. When the laser was first invented it was described as a solution looking for a problem, however before long it was looked at as a harness for medicine as well as science and technology. Today it does not matter where you turn lasers are all around us, I even have one in my mouse as I tap away writing this article.

Theodore Maiman managed to get the worlds first laser working while he was at the Hughes Research Laboratory in California, on that day back in 1960 he used a high-power flash lamp which he then shinned on a ruby rod that was covered with a silver coating. The funny thing is he submitted his report of his findings to the Physical Review Letters but that editors turned the report down. Many believe the reason why they turned the laser finding down was that they were receiving too many papers on the maser, which used a longer-wavelength than that of the laser.

You have to wonder where we would now be without the invention of the laser; it is one of those things that we take for granted. If you were to go back 20 years and you asked someone what they thought about the laser, they would mention something about Ronald Regan’s Star Wars Project. Today though a laser is not though of as a weapon, it is a piece of technology that gives us precision like the one in my mouse, as well as the ones in our supermarkets, hospitals, building sites, hey the list is endless but you get what I mean.

Happy Birthday to the laser.

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everchanging

at 01:11 on May 17th, 2008

good stuff:

Rob Peters, a laser birthday it seem everything has a begin. Great find. If anyone wants to know what a Maser is here you go. It's science that is over my head & understanding.

nanpalmero

at 22:25 on May 17th, 2008

This is a new Microvision laser projector that I spotted at WES 2008. It has not yet been released.

nanpalmero has contributed a photo to this story.

bkurzius

at 00:48 on May 18th, 2008

This was part of a laser light show on the Mount Carmel, Israel in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the State of Israel. The building to the right is the Shrine of the Bab -- one of the Holy Places for the Baha'i Faith. Here is a link to an animation of the laser show.

bkurzius has contributed a photo to this story.

jazzlounge

at 03:35 on May 18th, 2008

It was a great evening full off emotions at an AIDA-cruise to the Canaries and Madeira.

jazzlounge has contributed a photo to this story.

arkipiktyur

at 03:43 on May 18th, 2008

Amazing synchronized Symphony Of Lights show at Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong.

arkipiktyur has contributed a photo to this story.

cloudedsunny

at 03:44 on May 18th, 2008

Everything goes better with lasers

cloudedsunny has contributed a photo to this story.

sillevl

at 03:49 on May 18th, 2008

Lightshow at Sensation White in Antwerp

sillevl has contributed a photo to this story.

sfmerlion

at 03:57 on May 18th, 2008

This amazing laser show was taken in Macau's Wynn casino as part of their special Feb' 2008 Chinese New Year - Prosperity Tree laser show. The huge room was staged with the 12 Chinese zodiac signs on the circular dome and it opened like a camera iris... behold the fantastic laser show began... enjoy the amazing lasers!

sfmerlion has contributed a photo to this story.

HydaspisChaos

at 04:07 on May 18th, 2008

This Photo was taken during a laser show to honour the Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena, Germany. The University was founded 450 years ago.
Jena is well known for its leading optical industry, for which Carl Zeiss laid the groundwork.

HydaspisChaos has contributed a photo to this story.

robinrimbaud

at 04:15 on May 18th, 2008

Captured at a performance by Edwin Van Der Heide (http://www.evdh.net/) in Budapest as part of The Night of the Unexpected, this was an extraordinary show where lasers became the performers, and we all stood there hypnotized by the splendor of the colours, the shapes, the dynamic. An invention to seduce us all!

robinrimbaud has contributed a photo to this story.

Camraey

at 04:17 on May 18th, 2008

Rush from front row, center seats in Albuquerque, NM, April 29, 2008!

Camraey has contributed a photo to this story.

dyadyavasya

at 04:22 on May 18th, 2008

This is New Year's laser show at Russian museum in St.Petersburg.

dyadyavasya has contributed a photo to this story.

kami_pisecka

at 05:00 on May 18th, 2008

Transmission is a party concept held annually in the Czech Republic. This photo is from 2006 as there was part 3 of the concept. Always great laser shows and excellent sound!

kami_pisecka has contributed a photo to this story.

zmx80

at 06:29 on May 18th, 2008

I took this picture @ Espacio Movistar in Barcelona. Edwin van der Heide was making weird tones and the lasers were coordinated with them. It was a party organized by the Artfutura 2007 event.

You can also view more laser pictures from the same event by clicking here.

zmx80 has contributed a photo to this story.

Chazz L Camino

at 06:40 on May 18th, 2008

Light show from the Niche Hartford Magazine Anniversary party.

Chazz L Camino has contributed a photo to this story.

ChiefBill

at 07:56 on May 18th, 2008

Brookfield Zoo is located approximately 20 miles west of downtown Chicago. Each year over the holidays they light up the Zoo. Last year they added a great laser show. We stood in the cold to get some great photos.

ChiefBill has contributed a photo to this story.

Alpika

at 08:32 on May 18th, 2008

5mw laser pointer

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Lara Hockman

at 08:53 on May 18th, 2008

Chemical Brothers at Bestival 2007

Lara Hockman has contributed a photo to this story.

Foncati

at 09:45 on May 18th, 2008

this is a laser painting in wall with a shadow of camera after 48 years ;)

Foncati has contributed a photo to this story.

jordan

at 09:48 on May 18th, 2008

Also, CD/DVD players. And those laser-levels you can get for home improvement.

chemasurya

at 10:17 on May 18th, 2008

Laser show in Hong Kong

chemasurya has contributed a photo to this story.

Userr

at 11:42 on May 18th, 2008

The swedish band kent had a show with a spectacular laser-performance.

Userr has contributed a photo to this story.

Neil_Henderson

at 11:46 on May 18th, 2008

My shot shows the Prime Meridian line being marked out from the Greenwich observatory with there laser.

Neil_Henderson has contributed a photo to this story.

mstefano80

at 12:09 on May 18th, 2008

Lasershow at Halloween 2007 - Duple - Aulla(MASSA-ITALY)

mstefano80 has contributed a photo to this story.

frisbeeace

at 12:52 on May 18th, 2008

Bjork concert in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Gran Rex Theatre. 2007.

frisbeeace has contributed a photo to this story.

ourcommon

at 13:31 on May 18th, 2008

the ever going laser light show at the coachella music and arts festival in Indio California. Shot by peter Reid in April 2008.

ourcommon has contributed a photo to this story.

shootforfood

at 13:44 on May 18th, 2008

Warm-up group laser show before the Chemical Brothers concert in Kyiv, Ukraine

shootforfood has contributed a photo to this story.

xianpitt

at 16:07 on May 18th, 2008

This photo depicts the laser light show the Flaming Lips displayed at their New Years Eve 2007 to 2008 concert at Oklahoma City. The Flaming Lips enjoy giving lasers to the audience as a form of participatory spectacle.

xianpitt has contributed a photo to this story.

Noken

at 22:56 on May 18th, 2008

Took this picture the day before new year's eve 2008. Imagine how these laser show (symphony of lights) are coordinated among several buildings and especially with the music itself. What a technology!!

The Show comprises five major themes (http://www.tourism.gov.hk):
The first scene "Awakening" begins with flashes of laser lights that give life to a nucleus of light-energy which gradually illuminates participating buildings using an array of dancing lights and rainbow colour.

The second scene "Energy" is represented by the display of rising colour patterns and the sweeping of the lasers and searchlights energetically across the night sky.

In the third scene "Heritage", traditional lucky red and gold colours are displayed across buildings on both sides of the Harbour, complemented by the introduction of music using Chinese musical instruments.

The fourth scene "Partnership" features a display of laser beams and sweeping searchlights scanning across the Harbour, representing an illuminated connection with the opposite side.

The finale "Celebration" brings out a powerful rhythmic display of swirling, kaleidoscopic patterns of lights and beams dancing lively across the Harbour.

Noken has contributed a photo to this story.

markwgbeer

at 23:43 on May 18th, 2008

Laser light show for, of course, a Pink Floyd cover band at the Key Club on Sunset Strip.

markwgbeer has contributed a photo to this story.