Argon Ion Laser 50th anniversary

[BKBridges]

That's right! Its the 50th anniversary of the first blue green laser, the argon ion laser. We can thank the guy that did it for not figuring out how to make it soo tiny and efficient that they are put into everything we own these days to the point where they are annoying... well at least he didn't figure that part out, the Japanese did! Sorry... Anyhow, that guy is my dad. Happy Anniversary Dr. William Bridges! Car content (other than blue LEDs for everyone) I took him drag racing for the first time ever last summer and he had a blast.
BKB

[Deaf Bob]

Cool!
I chat with the son of the blue green laser invenor! WHOO HOO!
Did he ever think it would be what it is?

[CTX-SLPR]

I used one of those in undergrad with some cool options on it for increased power, frequency shifting, etc. Very cool and I didn't burn myself with that one. That was the CO2 laser and the mode locked NdYAG made my skin glow funny colours and if it hadn't been mistuned would have given me another set of burns... I don't fool around with laser protection anymore (not that I was then, just my knuckleheaded lab partners wouldn't tell me if it beam was off).

[Beagle]

That is so cool, happy anniversary!

[oldsman496]

it wasn't aliens?




:|



but seriously..... a true milestone. Congrats.

[Barry Donovan]

that is interesting..

I just watched LED history by a you tuber who enjoys them. She mentioned lasers were part of the process to "dope" LED for colors...experiments to find different combos.

the original was a dull red..which is common sense to show the earth is 90% iron.

cool stuff.

Swapping four 194 auto bulbs (speaking of red dull) to led is 40 watts saved. In a car , that equals to a decent amperage for elsewhere.

2 of them are baby blue looking license plate lights.. I bet your dad made that color happen.

[BKBridges]

Cool!
I chat with the son of the blue green laser invenor! WHOO HOO!
Did he ever think it would be what it is?

DB,
I used to get on Dads case as a kid, asking him what can you do with it? At the time he was big on science for science's sake (he worked for the Hughes research labs at the time), and said it was just a curiosity... Then they started using them to fix detached retinas. I think that's one of the reasons I got into medical device design. He did a lot of "black" ops work in the laser field and I think he just didn't want to talk about it...Last ditch submarine communications. etc...
Car content: Dad retired from Caltech a few years back and hobby wise likes to rebuild/restore old communications radios (20s 30s). I talked him into fixing a couple of old 50s Motorola radio units for a friend of mine.
BKB

[BKBridges]

it wasn't aliens?




:|



but seriously..... a true milestone. Congrats.

Not sure... Dad used to spend a lot of time in Roswell...
He commuted there from LA. The air force guys used to think his Porsche was rebuilt by aliens since it racked up so many miles during those dark days. I can say definitively that aliens technology had nothing to do with it, just his son. I/we rebuilt the motor 4 times in its 600K mile life time. Never touched the trans other than clutches, lube and linkage parts.
BKB

[Deaf Bob]

As someone who had a detached retina fixed via laser, I thank him from the bottom of my heart!

[squirrel]

Wow, neat stuff! My dad was in the telescope/optics business too, he brought home a He Ne laser in the 60s for us to play with once. They were rare items back then.

[BKBridges]

Wow, neat stuff! My dad was in the telescope/optics business too, he brought home a He Ne laser in the 60s for us to play with once. They were rare items back then.

Really rare! You were one of the few back then! We had to go to Hughes to play with the lasers. I think most laser shows use the Argon Ion these days as well so, Rave-on Dad!

DB,
That is good. Glad dad could help out!

bkb