The laser turns 50, we hope to still be that cool at that age (video)
By Tim Stevens 
posted May 15th 2010 6:17PM
posted May 15th 2010 6:17PM
On May 16, 1960, Theodore Maiman did something totally awesome at Hughes Lab: he fired the first functional laser and sent the future of arena rock and the rave scene well on its way. Hughes Lab has since moved on to become the military skunkworks Raytheon and the laser has moved into history as one of the coolest things to ever come out of a laboratory. Not a week goes by that we don't see someone doing something amazing with the things, whether it's blowing up ballistic missiles or just beaming your home movies on the wall. So, to everyone involved in the creation of the laser (including the great Albert Einstein himself), we salute you with this commemorative video embedded below. 
Shine on you crazy diamond.
@Decoy
Just getting this on the top, super-relevant link (sorry for pdf, but 200% worth it):
http://spie.org/Documents/AboutSPIE/SPIE%20Laser%20Luminaries.pdf
Rave on!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@creepin
Sandstorm
pew pew pew
peeeeewwww pew pew pew peeeeewwww
Pew Pew Pew
Wasn't Joshua 50 already?
A laser broke my iPhone camera as I was filming it in a club in Ibiza last year. I didn't really mind, it was a pretty bad-ass way to break an iPhone, plus Apple gave me a new one for free. Long live lasers and their mesmerising (and component frying) ways.
I'd skip that club if I were you. If they're usin lasers high-powered enough to be visible and that damaged your camera then they can also blind you.
You might be 'cool' at fifty but your teenage daughter will still think you're a freak.
True story.
Not if you're a frickin' laser. "dad you suc--" PEW PEW PEW
@kspraydad Very true story: http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/31/stephen-colbert-has-an-ipad/
@kspraydad
Nobody on this website was ever cool. Including myself.
Blinded by the light
Ripped up like a douche by the rover of a knight.
@kspraydad
Blinded by the light
Ripped of like a douche by a mother of the night
nice video but wow, that song is dull. (there weren't any rave tunes with laser videos, huh?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh7bYNAHXxw
Poor Dr. Evil. One day, his dream will come true.
Frankie say pew pew pew.
@sweet greggo
Shoulda linked this I guess.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lyl5DlrsU90
Frickin' lasers.
without lasers, i would still be blind in one eye.
without them, i wouldn't be blind in the first place :x
Reach for the lasers. Safe as F**K.
We salute.
Happy Birthday Laser!
Lasers are the weapon of the future... and always will be.
@Shaun Ryan
That's right, don't think we'll ever have hunting lasers.
@donv69 Arnold begs to differ.
@Shaun Ryan
So... basically, Lasers are never going to become effective weapons?...
@ttsgeb
Rail guns seem cooler anyway.
I can still remember an episode of NOVA from 1978 "Light of the 21st Century." Lasers were only 18 years old - my dad personally knew one of the inventors. That show had me mesmerized and I sooo wanted a laser. Today, I own one of the green "WickedLasers" that can be seen to clear the horizon or pop a balloon, and it's powered by 2 AA batteries - amazing progress.
50 years old and still looking radiant.
That video fried my retina temporarily -.- I was seeing spots for a few minutes...
News flash for you Mr. Stevens - coolness has nothing to do with age. Your use of "we" - does this mean that EVERYONE behind the scenes at Engadget (AND YOUR AUDIENCE AS WELL) is below 50?
You'll learn all about this when you're struggling to remain relevant in a world that relates coolness to youth. I'm a year older than the first functioning laser, and infinitely less cool.
I laughed at the video.
For 5 seconds before i closed it :)
I thought the video was going to be The Who.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkDQvEIe1tE&fmt=18 This is why I love lasers
pew pew pew
GERMAN DISCO LIGHT SHOW!
50 years. 50 years and you come up with this hack piece of shit video?! I could do better with a pointer pen. wtf.
Happy birthday!
God lasers piss me off right now. I went to the drive in to see Iron Man 2 and some little, not so funny kid was using one... Sometimes awesome stuff, isn't so awesome.
@Grubasaurus Rex that is weak for sure; where I live ESL drivers on the road are equally incompetent and inconsiderate!
CD, DVD, Bluray, Lasik, Welding, Range Finding, Alignment, as Sensor, as Markers, as Target Illuminators, as Non Lethal Weapons (dazzlers), as Presentation Pointers....
Light Amplified Information Systems are Sic~
Two Thumbs up to the History of Lasers; I will fire up my frequency doubled Nd:YAG and point it skyward at midnight tonight PST.
@cosmicinglewood oh fiber optics; the information age; along with the transistor, the laser and optical fiber together have revolutionized broadband data networks!
@cosmicinglewood soon little laser microdisplays will be popping up in mobile devices to smash on their LED predecessors for the laser micro-display offers contrast rations and color saturation that are purely amazing!
No comment from Lord Vader?
Still depressed over the loss of TWO giant lasers, I imagine.
NSFW, but its Sunday...
Lazertits was created to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the laser...
http://lazertits.com
Friggin sharks with friggin lazer beams.
@samuelm
I was gonna say... 50 years old and we still haven't seen the fruition of sharks with frikkin lasers...