10 Fun Facts About Lasers
Theodore Maiman is credited with the discovery of the laser in 1960, but history can trace it back to Einstein's theory of light emission in 1916.
We use our lasers to mark and etch into equipment, tools, panels, tags & labels, personal momentos, firearms, stainless steel tumblers, cutting boards, custom artwork, etc., etc., etc... (the list goes on and on, pretty much limited only by your imagination!) But we are by no means the only industry that uses lasers. Modern society uses lasers in the medical field, such as eye surgery, hair removal, and tattoo removal. You can play a round of laser tag or torture your feline friend for hours on end. You'll find them in CD players, barcode scanners at the supermarket... even in the fashion industry. If you take the time to think about it, you'll probably realize with one trip to the hardware store that lasers now appear on just about every DIY tool on the market.
The laser used to be a modern and futuristic invention, and while we still have yet to fully understand it's capabilities, we are seeing them used more and more in our daily life.
So whether lasers are as much of an obsession in your life as they are in ours, or you just like to learn something new every once in a while... get ready to be amazed!
10 Fun Facts About Lasers
1. Lasers cannot be seen in space because they have no matter. The matter causes the scattering effect which would actually give the appearance of a light bulb.
2. Studies suggest that broken bones heal much faster using highly focused laser beams. (Do not try this at home!)
3. The beam of light emitted from a laser is so intense that it can cut right through the densest materials, including metal, leather, marble, ceramics, and much more, but the laser beam has no inherent temperature. The heat is the result of the laser beam hitting the surface and changing from light energy into heat.
4. The word laser started as an acronym for ‘light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation’
5. Laser measuring is accurate to more than a nanometre – which is a billionth of a metre!
6. Astronauts on the Apollo 11 space mission in 1969 used a laser to measure the distance between the earth and the moon. Their readings were accurate within a fingers width.
7. 1974 was the first year that lasers were utilized in supermarket barcode scanners. Beep! Beep!
8. Laser tag or Laser Quest type games were developed as a non lethal training program for the US army in the 1970s. These days laser tag is generally used as a fun day out for the family or to run off all that sugary birthday cake energy!
9. Scientists have long been working on a laser which draws lightning strikes away from airports and power plants.
10. A tiny laser beam can be powerful enough to etch a serial number onto a diamond, the hardest natural substance is known to man.
If you're looking for something amazing and world altering in terms of scientific breakthroughs, but can also be used as a way to entertain your cat... you're going to be a very satisfied human. Laser technology is widely varied, and holds many possibilies for the future.
If you have any questions or want to inquire about laser engraving, contact us. We love our customers and are here for you... it's just what we do!