IIHO, the laser is one of the greatest photonic devices ever created. (eclipsed only by the light bulb)
It has helped more people lead normal lives then can be imagined, through surgical applications.
Without it some of our most used and beloved devices would not exist. CD, DVD,CD-ROM.
The world of measurement has been forever changed by lasers also. Today, parts coming off of a manufacturing machine can be tolerance checked at 1000X the speed of before.
The bar-code scanner has changed the way the world identifies and keeps track of items.
For military use, the laser is invaluable in guided rockets, laser sighting devices and recently, actual detonation of explosives, which in the past would (and have) killed many, many people.
I could go on and on, but you now have a glimpse of why I love and admire lasers.
The world would be a very different place without them!
And I am able to own a small piece of this very important history.
Plus, they are so purrrty