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Light shows, ray guns and blades: the laser is 50

6 May 2010

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine. — …

Gallery:Light shows, ray guns and blades: the laser is 50

The original “solution looking for a problem”, the laser is now 50 years old but still seems futuristic. This gallery charts the evolution of a technology that underpins everything from the fibre-optic backbone of the internet to the search for clean fusion energy.

Gallery:Light shows, ray guns and blades: the laser is 50

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