Light & Laser Blog

Top Chef, Project Runway, Britain's Got Talent, America's Top Model…my question is where is Top Engineer? Think of it, a different challenge every week, to be solved with what the contestants can buy at Radio Shack and Home Depot. I know, I can't see network television going for it either, but that's indicative of a problem. It's easy to get kids excited about the "gee whiz" aspects of science, but it tends to lose its shine as they get older. How do we keep kids engaged in science to train the CCD inventors of the future? How do we make science and technology engage the average person (hint: glowing pickles)?

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The Advanced Light Source at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory has received $11.3 million in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Actually (ARRA). Do you think that investment will help create or preserve jobs, or does it counter the spirit of the ARRA?

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Admittedly, LED signs can be flashy, but do they pose a danger to public safety? Some cities are so sure the signs distract drivers that they've banned them, while others merely restrict their use. Is this prudent caution or an over-reaction?

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A swarm of laser-wielding robots could map the bottom of the ocean at high resolution, say researchers, potentially detecting hazards such as mines in shipping lanes. It's a cool idea, but it only takes looking at cloudy sea water (or schools of fish) to understand how big a problem scattering and attenuation would present, no matter how short the optical path length. The controls and communications aspects alone are boggling. We need to be developing fundamental science but should we really be putting money into research only marginally more practical than the Star Wars concept?

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People may soon be able to walk into a drug store and buy a do-it-yourself wrinkle removal laser, courtesy of a recent FDA approval. How can a laser be powerful enough to perform skin ablation, or even collagen tightening, and still be safe enough for home use (and misuse)? No word on wavelength, but it still smells like a lawsuit to me.

The preceding article is a "sneak peek" from Light & Laser, a newsletter from GlobalSpec. To stay up-to-date and informed on industry trends, products, and technologies, subscribe to Light & Laser today.