Lasers, pew pew.

[Sidoh]

I just got this laser pointer in today (ordered it about a week ago).  I have a dinky red one, but this thing is pretty awesome.  You can see the dot in broad daylight when it's within a 20-ft radius or so and is very visible during the night (I was shining it into Chromium Bass' room, which is about 200 ft away and turned around when it got in his eye... my bad man! ).  The beam is visible if the environment is dark, which is a pretty neat effect.  It'll light up a whole room dimly as well.

A fun idle game with these things (when you're in a car) is to shine them on the reflective signs.  Even in midday, if you're able to hit one, it's really bright from just about any visible distance.  Pretty cool.

Definitely worth the $30 if you're into toys like lasers.

[CrAz3D]

now you just need a shark!!

[BigAznDaddy]

now you just need a shark!!

ROFL, I love Austin powers

[Rule]

Lasers are an interesting application of quantum mechanics (specifically stimulated emission; laser stands for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation).  I think the idea is that you have a bunch of atoms all in a particular excited state (E.g. first excited state).  A photon hits one of the atoms, which knocks it down into the ground state energy level, emitting another photon with a frequency such that it will make up the energy difference between the first excited state and the ground state.  Now we have two photons (the photon we sent out to begin with, and the one from stimulated emission).  These two photons will both hit atoms in the first excited state, and knock out two more photons, with exactly the same frequency (proportional to the energy difference between first excited state and ground state).  This starts a chain reaction creating coherent radiation, which in optics is known as the "amplification effect".

[Ergot]

Wow Rule, you are so smart. Let's make out?

[CrAz3D]

Lasers are an interesting application of quantum mechanics (specifically stimulated emission; laser stands for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation).  I think the idea is that you have a bunch of atoms all in a particular excited state (E.g. first excited state).  A photon hits one of the atoms, which knocks it down into the ground state energy level, emitting another photon with a frequency such that it will make up the energy difference between the first excited state and the ground state.  Now we have two photons (the photon we sent out to begin with, and the one from stimulated emission).  These two photons will both hit atoms in the first excited state, and knock out two more photons, with exactly the same frequency (proportional to the energy difference between first excited state and ground state).  This starts a chain reaction creating coherent radiation, which in optics is known as the "amplification effect".

...hmm, I concur

[Sidoh]

Lasers are an interesting application of quantum mechanics (specifically stimulated emission; laser stands for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation).  I think the idea is that you have a bunch of atoms all in a particular excited state (E.g. first excited state).  A photon hits one of the atoms, which knocks it down into the ground state energy level, emitting another photon with a frequency such that it will make up the energy difference between the first excited state and the ground state.  Now we have two photons (the photon we sent out to begin with, and the one from stimulated emission).  These two photons will both hit atoms in the first excited state, and knock out two more photons, with exactly the same frequency (proportional to the energy difference between first excited state and ground state).  This starts a chain reaction creating coherent radiation, which in optics is known as the "amplification effect".

Cool stuff.

I spent 10 minutes last night measuring the width of my hair with it.

[CrAz3D]

Lasers are an interesting application of quantum mechanics (specifically stimulated emission; laser stands for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation).  I think the idea is that you have a bunch of atoms all in a particular excited state (E.g. first excited state).  A photon hits one of the atoms, which knocks it down into the ground state energy level, emitting another photon with a frequency such that it will make up the energy difference between the first excited state and the ground state.  Now we have two photons (the photon we sent out to begin with, and the one from stimulated emission).  These two photons will both hit atoms in the first excited state, and knock out two more photons, with exactly the same frequency (proportional to the energy difference between first excited state and ground state).  This starts a chain reaction creating coherent radiation, which in optics is known as the "amplification effect".

Cool stuff.

I spent 10 minutes last night measuring the width of my hair with it.

you measured your hair?./.............................

[Sidoh]

you measured your hair?./.............................

Yes.  You can get (relatively) extremely accurate measurements by studying the interference patterns created by obstructing a laser beam with something.

I ended up with 3 micrometers or something along those lines as a result.