Feature
How the Laser Found Problems to Solve
While some initially wondered about practical applications for the laser—an invention born out of basic research—within a few decades after its first appearance, it was offering solutions ranging from high-speed printing to crystal-clear music.
Hughes scientist Irnee J. D’Haenens, shown with a ruby laser in the early 1960s. D’Haenens famously referred to the first ruby laser—partly in jest—as “a solution looking for a problem.” [HRL Laboratories, courtesy of AIP Emilio Segrè Visual Archives]
While some initially wondered about practical applications for the laser—an invention born out of basic research—within a few decades after its first appearance, it was offering solutions from high-speed printing to crystal-clear music.
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