In my own words · Washington County, MD

Why I love lasers

An optical bench in the Laser Optics Laboratory at Ames Research Center, crowded with mirrors, lenses and beam paths. Real NASA photograph used on the Ellis Abel Learns "Why I Love Lasers" page — read by families in Washington County, MD. — An optical bench in the Laser Optics Laboratory at Ames Research Center, crowded with mirrors, lenses and beam paths. NASA · Public domain

The light goes in one straight line and stays there.
It can cut metal or read a disc.
All the light waves are marching together.

You can love lasers in Washington County.

What it really is

A laser makes light waves that all line up, so the beam stays tight.

Three things to try today

Shine a flashlight and a laser pointer at a wall far away.
Compare the size of the spots.
Say why they are different.

Researcher Dana Lynch works at the laser optics bench in the Laser Optics Laboratory at NASA Ames Research Center. Real NASA photograph used on the Ellis Abel Learns "Why I Love Lasers" page — read by families in Washington County, MD. — Researcher Dana Lynch works at the laser optics bench in the Laser Optics Laboratory at NASA Ames Research Center. NASA · Public domain

For the grown-up reading this

A child in Washington County, MD who loves lasers is not unusual. A child in Washington County, MD who is told that loving lasers is unusual — that is the problem. Washington County is one of 24 counties in Maryland.

Coherence explained with two spots on a wall. No equations needed.

If the kid who loves this is a girl

Read what one popular teacher said to one little girl who took out the classroom trash without being asked — and what that girl did with the rest of her life.

Girls are great at math — Washington County, MD →