Laser

Hello there. My name is Laser. I am a very, very special kind of light. Have you ever seen a lightbulb? It shines light everywhere, filling up a whole room so you can see. But I'm different. I am a super-focused, super-straight beam of light. Imagine a tiny, bright string that goes on and on in one direction. It’s like a superhero’s pointer, pointing at exactly what you want to see. I can be a bright red line, a cool blue line, or a glowing green line. I have so many amazing jobs to do, and I can't wait to tell you all about them. I love to zip and zap and help people every single day.

A long, long time ago, I was just an idea in a very smart scientist’s head. His name was Theodore Maiman. He worked very hard to bring me to life. Then, one special day, on May 16th, 1960, it happened. Theodore used a beautiful pink crystal called a ruby. It was so shiny. He took a very bright light, like a camera flash, and shined it on the ruby. Poof. In that flash, I was born. I woke up as a bright, straight line of red light. It was so exciting to see the world for the first time. I was a brand new light, ready to go on big adventures and help everyone I could.

I have so many fun and helpful jobs. When you go to the grocery store, do you hear a little beep sound when your food is scanned? That’s me. I am helping the cashier read a special code on your cereal box. I also help doctors. I can be a very gentle light that helps them see inside people to make them feel better. And have you ever seen a big, colorful light show in the sky at night? That's me, too. I love to dance and make pretty pictures in the dark. I am so happy to be a helpful beam of light. I love helping people learn and create new, wonderful things every single day.