xkcd advertises WL

Laser Pointer

FUUUUUUUU

I was quite impressed with Randall Munroe's degree of research in the subject matters that he discusses in his webcomics, until today.

Ok I'm reading this now because I always like the way he explains things.

So far I've found these irregularities (this post is being written in real-time )
- 5mW can reach the moon
- Green lasers (532nm) are 'more powerful' than other colour lasers

Ok done reading. I don't know anything about the flashlights or nightsuns he uses but the rest seems pretty legit to me?

What other points don't you agree upon?

Edit: About advertising WL. For an outsider it is very hard to identify "legit" laser companies and because WL has done that thing with the guinness (spelling?) book of records they do seem to get some (undeserved) credit.
I guess that's why he posted a link to their website, that and just to have an example of a 1W laser.

Great find.

I like Mr. Munroe's blag posts (yes, it's called a blag) which touch upon theoretical physics and science. My favorite is what will happen if a baseball is pitched at 90% speed of light. Very amusing read.

However, I'm very disturbed at his ad for WL. Is he getting paid for it? Surely he understands the misuses of the overpriced lasers... and the notoriety that follows us laser hobbyists.

ryansoh3 said:

However, I'm very disturbed at his ad for WL. Is he getting paid for it? Surely he understands the misuses of the overpriced lasers... and the notoriety that follows us laser hobbyists.

Click to expand...

Maybe if we send him an e-mail explaining our case he will take down the link to WL?

Also the xkcd comics usually aren't read by the most dimn-witted minds so I guess everybody who reads that is intelligent enough to do his own research?

Coby said:

Edit: About advertising WL. For an outsider it is very hard to identify "legit" laser companies and because WL has done that thing with the guinness (spelling?) book of records they do seem to get some (undeserved) credit.
I guess that's why he posted a link to their website, that and just to have an example of a 1W laser.

Click to expand...

The actual laser things are pretty accurate, even down to the divergence level. The spot would indeed be that large to within an order of magnitude, considering divergence for average lasers differ by that much.
I am only irritated because he advertised WL, it made him look like a shill (I doubt he was), as anyone who googles WL for even 5 minutes will find this site and find out how horrible it is.