Happy Birthday Lasers

[ppporch]

May 16 marks the 50th birthday for the first working laser. I found this nice article and noted the poll near the bottom of the page asking readers what is the most significant use of lasers. Laser light shows were coming in with 9% of the vote.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-13772_3-20004989-52.html

[allthatwhichis]

I thought thye 50th was last year... Didn't google change their "font" for it?

[ppporch]

Since the first laser was lazed May 16th 1960, It might be next year when it is really 50. It would have been one year old in 1951 so 2011 would be fifty if I am doing the math right. I think it is happy 49th birthday on the 16th now that you mention it.

[Eidetic]

They could've did the logo thing two years ago in 2008, the 50th anniversary of the paper written by Schawlow & Townes describing some of the principles that would be necessary to make an optical version of their maser. No laser has ever been built as they suggested in that paper. The patent initially issued based on it was later revoked. Bell Labs continues to publish that THEY invented the laser and that Maiman only "built the first one".

I certainly think Maiman deserves more than that. He deserved the Nobel. Everyone else at the time was going in the wrong direction thanks to Schawlow & Townes and Wieder. Schawlow was adamant that pink ruby wouldn't work. Maiman rubbed it in their faces. Maiman was treated shoddily in the publication process and that opened the door for Bell Labs to steal his thunder. He was bitter about it for the rest of his life, which comes through loudly in his book.

But still, written histories still show Bell Labs as having "invented" the laser in 1958. Some people believe that if you repeat a lie enough it becomes truth. I don't.

[colouredmirrorball]

I thought Google changed their logo because the inventor of the laser died. But I don't remember if it was Schawlow, Townes or Maiman.

[Eidetic]

That would've been Maiman, but he died in '07. It was three years ago?!?

[colouredmirrorball]

http://www.google.be/logos/logos08-2.html

My fault, I must have mixed up memories.

Sorry Robert Hess, Google also sees 1958 as the invention of the laser...

[Eidetic]

Google's wrong.

[bridge]

Anyway, we enjoy laser's birthday.
Thanks Maiman.
Best regards!
Bridge