Laser

When NASA’s newest rover touches down on Mars, it will carry with it a set of mirrors that will serve as targets for future laser-wielding spacecraft. The laser-bouncing tech is similar to that used in the Apollo era, to characterize the Moon.

A team of scientists at the University of St Andrews has developed a laser spectroscopy technique that can determine the authenticity of expensive vintage whiskey without having to open the bottle to retrieve a sample for analysis.

Scientists have created a new class of laser beam that appears to violate long-held laws of light physics. Known as “spacetime wave packets,” these lasers follow different rules of refraction, which could lead to new communication technologies.

A team of ESA scientists has developed a way to use lasers, special telescopes, detectors, and light filters tuned to specific wavelengths to increase contrast with the sky and accurately track space debris even in broad daylight.

In the advanced stages of Parkinson's disease, some people develop a condition known as "gait freeze," in which they temporarily lose the ability to step forward. NexStride is designed to help, though, by giving them a laser target for their feet.

When it comes to rough, tough, gruff, no-nonsense devices, power drills certainly fit the bill. Nonetheless, a Canadian company has given the tool a high-tech makeover, adding what are actually some pretty handy features.

The Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS) is an extremely powerful X-ray laser – and now it's about to get even more powerful. The second generation of the instrument has now achieved first light, with scientists demonstrating fine control of the beam.

Radio waves travel poorly through the water, which makes it difficult for divers or submersibles to wirelessly transmit information to the surface. Scientists are trying to change that, though, by developing an underwater version of Wi-Fi.

There are some places that a solar-powered rover just can’t reach, like the Moon’s polar regions that are permanently in shadow. Now, ESA has outlined a new system where a lander shines a laser at a rover to keep it powered from miles away.

Responsible for millions of dollars in crop losses annually, the red palm weevil is a flying beetle that lays its eggs inside date palm trees. It could soon be possible to detect such infestations earlier than ever, using fiber optic cables.

All previous records absolutely pale in comparison to the new record holder for the world’s fastest camera, boasting a mind-boggling rate of 70 trillion frames per second. That’s fast enough to capture light waves in movement.

While there are drugs that help reduce the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis in joints, those medications can have unpleasant side effects in other parts of the body. An experimental new light-based system, however, is being designed to change that.