Why do we like lasers?

[RawPaul]

I have a t-shirt about pyro that pretty much sums it up, "if you have to ask, you wouldn't understand"

 

[louis54000]

Yeah that's a good answer, I'll remember it next time

 

[blasterman]

If you guys could have only been there back in the 80s when I was driving around with my 8mW HeNe on a 12volt cig lighter supply with my car having tinted windows and the general populace never seeing a live laser. The utter chaos we caused on rainy friday nights and unsuspecting crowds was legendary. Now I just like lasers because they make my business money, but in those early days we were gods

 

[SilverFire]

If you guys could have only been there back in the 80s when I was driving around with my 8mW HeNe on a 12volt cig lighter supply with my car having tinted windows and the general populace never seeing a live laser. The utter chaos we caused on rainy friday nights and unsuspecting crowds was legendary. Now I just like lasers because they make my business money, but in those early days we were gods

Sounds like that would have been fun :crackup:

Guess you can't really be all that god like today, but not many people never have seen a laser beam that looks like a really long light saber in the sky.
Most are used to the typical red dots you can buy at Walmart

Edit: ops, forgot to add "never" in that sentence. Many people have -never- seen a laser beam.....

 

[Alaskan]

Darkness becomes your friend when you have a laser.

 

[Pman]

Have never been asked. Anyone I've ever shown thinks they are cool. Rarely bring one outside so I don't get asked. All it takes is letting someone use an over-spec 532nm and they are hooked especially when I let them keep it. The only ones I ever hand out are the pens anyone can purchase from Ebay. Don't give away any pen that I have modified (usually to make it focusable). It's a cover my butt kind of thing. Also only give to an adult after making sure they understand how to keep everyone around you safe.
I have a sign across the street that is white/silver that is extremely reflective. Show a quick pass by it to prove just how bright it actually is.

 

[IWIRE]

Have you ever asked any of the people if they like it ? I have and people always like them. So then just ask them why do you like it ? I think it's like cavemen and fire. There is a natural attraction most people have to light. Architect's spend countless hours and dollars just to get the lighting right, to compliment a building or to enhance a certain feeling.

 

[USAbro]

^ couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[lazeristasUVISIR]

This is what my dad asks me. I tell him it's a hobby and he says something like "what'll you do, just shine it around'? And I tell him it's just fun.

LOL I'm a dad. I showed several pictures of a glowing fiber in different colors to my son. His reaction was 'cool'

Laser light is really cool - mesmerizing laser shows.
Lasers are really great tools - CD, DVD, Blu-Rays, metal/material cutting machines.
Lasers are really great instruments - distance, profile, dust etc measurements.
Lasers are used everywhere - internet/network, medicine, military, and of course with cats :san:

How could somebody not like them? :tsk:

 

[louis54000]

If you guys could have only been there back in the 80s when I was driving around with my 8mW HeNe on a 12volt cig lighter supply with my car having tinted windows and the general populace never seeing a live laser. The utter chaos we caused on rainy friday nights and unsuspecting crowds was legendary. Now I just like lasers because they make my business money, but in those early days we were gods

Damn I wish could have been there that's just awesome!

I show people this picture and they tend to understand better :

 

[LSRFAQ]

For many people its a biological addition thing.

My current , un-substantiated theory on the instant addiction to laser light in young males:

Because nothing in nature produces this level of saturated color, the 5000:1 contrast ratio, or the interference fringes from speckle on the back of the eye.

Contrast ratio is important, its why the book has survived since the middle ages.
Until the book really caught on with the printing press, telling stories and sagas was enough.

Your brain was not designed for laser light and thus finds it fascinating.

Until the boom in LEDs/Enhanced LCDs in the last few years, nothing like this color saturation and contrast existed except in Pyro and perhaps a few arc lamps. Stained glass gives a similar parallel for older generations.

My theory is a guess based on two decades of seeing people first exposed to visible lasers, then lusting after them. Myself included.

Steve

 

[olympus mons]

For me it's because I've always loved things that glow light ever since I was a very small kid I was just infatuated with light colors especially. In my home I have very nice ambient lighting throughout every room different colors that kind of set the mood in setting for each different room. I feel that lighting goes unnoticed by so many people really has a huge impact in our daily lives.
I very much enjoyed reading and learning about physics quantum physics especially. Someone already said in this thread lasers are getting to see quantum physics in action before your eyes I think that's really great. To know what is happening with the laser and how that Beam is there and why to me just makes it all the more fascinating and beautiful.

At the end of the day it could be summed up simply that lasers are freaking awesome and quite beautiful and I love them! My wife loves them because it's the safest hobby of mine. Lol.

 

[Shadowsix]

I do love the beautiful coherent beam of light (in any color!) and as you can see from my signature I can realize (as close as possible) to having a good representation of my favorite sci-fi weapons (have wanted a phaser since I was a little kid watching the original Star Trek series in the sixties!) for my own.

 

[olympus mons]

You have an awesome collection shadowx! I just ordered my first couple lasers. I hope to build my own in the future but I have a lot to learn first. This form is incredibly helpful! It must be very satisfying when asked the question where did you get it, to be able to say I made it.

 

[louis54000]

You have an awesome collection shadowx! I just ordered my first couple lasers. I hope to build my own in the future but I have a lot to learn first. This form is incredibly helpful! It must be very satisfying when asked the question where did you get it, to be able to say I made it.

Yeah I agree, it's kinda the same with PCs it's cool to say I built it !
I'll probably build my next laser, but as you said, we have a lot to learn first

 

[Shadowsix]

You have an awesome collection shadowx! I just ordered my first couple lasers. I hope to build my own in the future but I have a lot to learn first. This form is incredibly helpful! It must be very satisfying when asked the question where did you get it, to be able to say I made it.

Thanks! And you are correct it is extremely satisfying when asked where the laser came from and you can say you made it.

In fact I had that last weekend at a Halloween party I went to with friends at a VFW. I was dressed as Capt. Kirk (I have an exact replica of the original series uniform made by Anovos) and I brought my 450nm 185mW Star Trek Classic Phaser mod. I informed those running the party and we setup beam***** (terminmators) up high for me to shoot at plus those running the karaoke turned on their fog machine at times for me to shoot through also. Everybody loved it and we were very safe with it. It definitely took my costume to a whole other level!

Outside was a big empty lot across the street with a row of trees (thick) on the other side and at times I took people out to let them fire it only at those trees after I explained how to be safe (and made sure they would be).