Light Beams - What Can a Light Beam Do for You?

Why “laser” was the winner: Lasers are devices that concentrate beams of light by forcing their waveforms and frequencies to align. The word laser is short for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.  It would be more accurate to say “light oscillation” instead of “amplification”, but that would make the name “loser”.--pcmag.com

You read it first in The Factory in Guide magazine.

Lasers - they’re everywhere! And they help us in so many ways!   

First of all, what are they? They are devices that concentrate beams of light by forcing their waveforms and frequencies to align. 

Lasers work by stimulating atoms or molecules to emit photons (particles of light). This process is called stimulated emission. The light emitted by a laser is also monochromatic, meaning it is of a single color or wavelength, making it highly predictable and controllable. 

Some examples of lasers are: laser pointers, optical testing, and spectroscopy, to name a few. Some are used for taking precise measurements, or cutting materials, to determine what things are made of, and even in different medical treatments.

Have you ever been in the classroom and your teacher pointed to the board with a long rounded stick to emphasize a point? If so, you are probably my age. But if you are younger, your teacher probably used a small clicker device that, when pointed to the board or screen directed a small beam of light, usually red, to emphasize what they were teaching. This device is known as a laser pointer. Today, many people use these to entertain their pets. More accurately, the pets end up entertaining their humans when said pets chase the small red beam of light around in circles. Warning: When using a laser of any kind, do not shine it directly in anyone's eyes as it can cause damage. Use these carefully.

Theodore Maiman made the first laser operate on May 16, 1960, at the Hughes Research Laboratory in California, by shining a high powered flash lamp on a ruby rod with silver-coated surfaces. Since that time, we have come up with many useful ways to harness the power of these singular beams of light.

Do you ever go to the grocery store or the library with your parents? If so, you have probably seen the scanners that help you check out the groceries or books. Not all, but many scanners use laser technology to read bar codes or other information. The information from the bar codes tells the computer which groceries you are buying or which books you are checking out. And this helps the computer keep track of how low the store’s inventory is on certain items and when to order more. Also, it can help the library computer know which books are still left for other people to check out, and when all the checked out books are due back. 

Some lasers are so powerful, their light beam can actually cut materials like wood, metal or plastic. Also, there are lasers that can be used to do medical procedures when an actual operation would do more damage. One of these medical lasers is called a Gamma Knife. This is a radiation treatment device for the brain and upper spine.

The laser is a powerful tool! It reminds me of our all-powerful Savior who says of Himself, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12  

Be sure to stay connected to the Light of life, who is Jesus our Savior!

Keep exercising your faith!

—Carol Lyons, Assistant
Discovery Mountain

Scripture taken from the New King James Version, Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.