When they were first discovered, lasers were thought to be the "panacea" for modern scientific problems. While many limitations have been realized, lasers are slowly improving many different aspects of our lives. From eye surgery to industrial precision cutting and manufacturing, to medical marvels like tattoo removal, surgery and even the destruction of isolated cancer cells, lasers continue to be a behind-the-scenes tool for improving our lives. Many people have heard of lasers, but few know that the term is actually an acronym for Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Even fewer could explain how a laser works. To understand how laser light is produced, we must first start with a fundamental look at the atom. Atoms are generally considered the building blocks of life and are much smaller than can be seen with the naked eye. Atoms are made up of a cloud of electrons and a nucleus that contains protons and neutrons. The electrons in the cloud surround the nucleus in various orbits particular to each type of atom. In general, the further the electron's orbit is from the nucleus, the higher the energy level of that electron. In reality atoms move, vibrate and rotate, but for our understanding we will just look at the excitation levels of the electrons and their orbits. An atom is said to be in its ground state when its electrons possess only their innate electrical energy. When electrons are bombarded by radiation they absorb some of the energy and move away from the nucleus until they reach an excited level. The atom naturally wants to return to the ground state and in doing so releases the absorbed energy in the form of a photon. A photon is a light particle, perceived to physically act both as a particle (matter) and as a ... medium of paper ... and even funny. While lasers may not represent the ultimate technology solution, they certainly have changed and continue to change the world around us. The next time you hear a term like laser printer, Blu-Ray or lasik, you can rest assured that, just like the small percentage of unwasted energy that actually comprises a laser beam, you too are part of a select group, aimed at la knowledge of how lasers work. Works Cited[1] Aldrich, Robert. “Laser Fundamentals” Fas.Org. 02.27.2011 < http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/navy/docs/laser/fundamentals.htm >[2] Optical cavity. Wikipedia 01.08.2011, 02.27.2011Images citedGibson, D. Inside An Atom. 04.18.2000, 02.27.2011 Optical cavity. Wikipedia 01.08.2011, 02.27.2011