How Lasers Work, with Neil deGrasse Tyson

How do Lasers work? Neil deGrasse Tyson and comedian Chuck Nice break it down for you. You’ll learn about how atoms and photons work together to make a laser work. Also, find out how lasers are used - from beauty to warfare.
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About StarTalk:
Science meets pop culture on StarTalk! Astrophysicist & Hayden Planetarium director Neil deGrasse Tyson, his comic co-hosts, guest celebrities & scientists discuss astronomy, physics, and everything else about life in the universe. Keep Looking Up!
#StarTalk #NeildeGrasseTyson

[@StarTalk]

What have you used lasers for?

[@cookieshousecannabisco6963]

cut my lawn. (The city put a stop to that.....real quick)

[@aidentheorc2124]

Playing Minecraft wit da bois

[@mccauleymccranie3752]

What would happen if you was going light speed and you fired a light 90° at the same time .. what would happen to the light getting shot from the side how would it travel

[@PremierCCGuyMMXVI]

StarTalk cutting a hole through the wall so I don’t have to open the door

[@adamlopez3186]

To signal other friendly convos in Iraq

[@SASkinPro]

I think Einstein would have enjoyed lasers being used to entertain cats.

[@romangerasimov5183]

Leslie Asher You didn’t know, but Schrödinger asked Einstein to look after his cat for several days. Einstein needed to somehow entertain the cat and he had the idea - a laser!

[@youwillnotknowme]

@@romangerasimov5183 In the process of laser testing, Schrodinger's cat became just a regular dead cat.

[@0079Matthew]

@@youwillnotknowme *Slowly puts cat back in box*

[@soberhippie]

Thats on those occasions when he hing out with Schrödinger.

[@drcrimson3736]

@@0079Matthew and that's how Einstein solved the uncertainty principal , he knew the cat was dead .

[@AccessCode101]

"so there was no laser, and then he mathematically said hey check out this laser"

[@rofafofo7057]

Witch masks me exited about wormholes !!!

[@stranger_danger1900]

@@ME-ru4hv The Laser was hypothesized using mathematics and theory. And it works . Photons are a thing.

[@stranger_danger1900]

@@ME-ru4hv Science has determined photons are a thing. Your lack of understanding is your problem. "The photon is a type of elementary particle. It is the quantum of the electromagnetic field including electromagnetic radiation such as light and radio waves, and the force carrier for the electromagnetic force (even when static via virtual particles). The invariant mass of the photon is zero; it always moves at the speed of light in a vacuum."

[@BlackEpyon]

I love how theoretical physicists can just figure something out, not have any idea what it could be used for, file it away as a curiosity, and then decades later somebody uses it to make a revolutionary break through.

[@stranger_danger1900]

@@BlackEpyon That's because you can't think broadly enough to imagine theoretical physics. It was used to create the first nuclear weapons. Computers (the one you are using ) were a theory at one time as were many other inventions. It's a good thing everyone isn't as small minded as you.

[@SinnerSoviet]

YOUR EDITOR NEEDS A RAISE

[@StarTalk]

:)

[@broomemike1]

Clearly it's the editor who replies to KZbin comments, haha! Not that I disagree... Awesome work!

[@waqasahmed3115]

Yeah it's very good editing. It makes it easier to understand for a layman like myself.

[@Darkmountaindweller]

The James bond bit made my day 🤣🤣

[@MeanBeanComedy]

@John Connolly He was saying the editor is doing such a wonderful job that they should give him more money as a reward. Usually the "x needs a raise!" comments are used to express how invaluable that person is to an operation. No worries! 😆😝😜

[@wwjnz9263]

Wait a minute... My retina is 2 to 3 times more sensitive to green light, as opposed to red light? I will have to remember that, the next time I'm in traffic court. Thanks Neal.

[@kaziu312]

LOL

[@kvamshi4561]

Lol😂😂

[@ViratKohli-jj3wj]

lmfao

[@trueconservative6288]

Good one lol

[@Daponics89]

Lmao nice

[@patordie]

the zoom editing is everything in this video, A+

[@StarTalk]

😎

[@PanchoKnivesForever]

It was hilarious!

[@saikatJanaYT]

😷

[@yougotta2505]

never knew "laser" was an acronym 😱 my mind is blown

[@Phil8sheo]

A few more you may not have known. TASER Thomas A Swift Electric Rifle RADAR RAdio Detection And Ranging SCUBA Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus

[@chacdogful]

David Stoler probably should of been LTASER Look Thomas a Swift Electric Rifle

[@yougotta2505]

@@chacdogful that's clever and amazing 😄 thanks

[@sohamdas8469]

GNU is not unix

[@yougotta2505]

@@Phil8sheo my mind is blown again 😱

[@spectre2776]

The moments when Chuck gets super excited about science warms my heart. Scientists and science enthusiasts are like kids in candy stores and we love it.

[@Jay-Kaizo]

Einstein was an absolute BOSS. I wish we had just a few more decades of his brain.

[@J040PL7]

i bet he wasn't appreciated when he was young until people started to realize his brilliance.

[@Jay-Kaizo]

@Derrick campbell Yeah, I thought I also heard it was in the trunk of a car for a really long time too. lol

[@Jay-Kaizo]

@@J040PL7 I don't think he was. He was criticized and told he'd never be anything iirc. I think he flunked math as well. ;p

[@bern9642]

@@J040PL7 I bet the people who knew him appreciated his brilliance

[@bern9642]

@@Jay-Kaizo that's just 1 teacher. I bet most geniuses had that one person who tells them they are not as intelligent as they think.

[@amankumar-xj9qj]

Why we can't have teachers like him in our school

[@bvnseven]

because no one wants to work for cheap, take their jobs home with them w/o pay and babysit children who weren't raised right and have no respect for teachers.

[@Sergio-fu7mv]

Joe wut

[@learningisfun2108]

He is the Michael Jordan of explaining science. And he is just a rare.

[@RameshSingh-no7qy]

We can't afford the school fee then

[@biekgiek]

We do

[@jjdbzfan18]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="225">3:45</a> when you and your friend finally figure out how to beat a level in a video game

[@NaitoSentineru]

I laughed so hard, perhaps harder than I should have xD Thanks for the quick trip back to the 90s.

[@TheHogan883]

Oh great. Someone gave Chuck laser vision. There goes the neighborhood.

[@TheHogan883]

P.S. We're all trying to ignore you, Chuck.

[@danielbray3494]

At least it's a Nice laser

[@denny9931]

That thumbnail rocks

[@johnl119]

I swear...I feel smarter every time I listen to Mr. Tyson. I learn so much. Plus, the banter these two have between them is is so funny

[@troyertje1]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="54">0:54</a> "wow wait a minute are you for real?" *squeaky voice* "YEEEEEEEEES"

[@mrmakerGD]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="255">4:15</a>-<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="259">4:19</a> Neil is so adorable! So pure, so cute😂❤️🔥

[@sagadatnurmagambet8041]

The reaction we deserved. Chuck Nice is just me watching the video

[@gkd1011]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="254">4:14</a> Neil's little dance is lit af 🔥

[@coffyboy]

Neil deGrasse Tyson, you are the bedst for our world. And I say that, in a small country like Denmark. Love you vidio's,. keep doing it!

[@Malik-ps4xs]

Bro wtf is einstein. This man done discovered everything

[@nathanielb9016]

Malik in the future he may be the reason we create teleportation

[@jordanholliday9163]

@@nathanielb9016 i dont think we'll ever invent teleportation, to turn you whole body into pure energy then reorganize you back together without complications would take an enormous amount of power

[@leptinainccm]

@@jordanholliday9163 If you have the ability to even do teleportation, i doubt the problem will be power. More like the actual logistics of reorganizing people.

[@youwillnotknowme]

@@leptinainccm Yep. Putting it all back together. Not just the hardware, but mostly the software. Meaning the human's personality.

[@youwillnotknowme]

These are just applications of some "weird", "theoretical" and "i wonder how we will ever use that" stuff. That's all thanks to the fact: THE SCIENCE OF TODAY IS THE TECHNOLOGY OF TOMORROW.

[@joost199207]

Chuck makes these extra fun to watch, glad you two are doing these videos!

[@asheragoddess8894]

Danfga2 Chuck is the buffer who drops code lol ! Wake up

[@dombraswell8104]

I personally find chuck distracting.

[@leahl5007]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="401">6:41</a> The real reason Luke was able to beat Vader in a lightsaber fight.

[@uyscuti5503]

You guys rock!! I learn so much, every time!!! Thank you for your knowledge!!!

[@StarTalk]

Thanks for watching!

[@mccauleymccranie3752]

Yo I drop knowledge on my boys all the time

[@soulife8383]

Wait, when he explained it initially he said the [random] atom's electron absorbs the photon causing it to excite (elevate) momentarily, then it calms back down (deescalate), which then causes the electron to re-release the photon. This is 1 photon that gets absorbed momentarily and then released. But then all of a sudden they're showing 2 photons are released for every 1 photon that's absorbed? How does this not break the conservation of energy? And where does the 2nd photon come from? If it's converted energy from the atom, wouldn't the atom degrade over time?

[@dankdreamz]

Also if electrons were to orbit the nucleus as Neil described that too would break the laws of conservation of energy. Bohr's model of the atom was replaced by Schrodinger's quantum mechanical model of the atom.

[@soulife8383]

@@dankdreamz I was thinking about that too as I was watching the demo. But I just figured if you were blasting an atom with protons you were bound to hit electrons regardless.. it's just that I watched an explanation of how lasers work meant for children to understand, but I know less than ever now mixed with misinformation

[@sooocheesy]

I work on high power lasers for a living and they missed some majorly important key facts... The whole process starts by adding in "pump" energy - an electrical pulse that brings the "gain medium" (ie the atoms) up to the excited state. A few of these naturally decay to a low energy state and in the process release photons in a random direction. The "resonator cavity" optics then reflect back photons that are heading in the "right direction", which creates that back and forth snowball effect where more and more photons are generated. Each photon generated by a photon knocking into a particle that was previously "pumped" by the initial electrical pulse will be emitted with the same wavelength, phase and direction as the photon that bumped it. If you remove the resonator optics all you get is a bright glow in random directions and no "laser". Btw pretty much every electronic device (CPU, RAM, processor, integrated circuit, etc) is made using lasers to project the pattern of the chip onto the silicon substrate. The process is called DUV lithography. Kind of shocked he left this out since electronics are easily the biggest change to humanity that has come from lasers...

[@Phdintheory]

​@@sooocheesy I hope you monitor this comment. I have a question. If you shine a laser at a curved mirror, could you bounce that laser back to another curved mirror that would cause the laser to bounce back and forth forever?

[@jibjib1388]

Phdintheory there is a way for you to bounce a photon back and fourth; however, it’s not forever. Each time it’s reflected a little tiny bit of the photon gets absorbed by the mirror. You can actually test this. Have you ever seen 2 mirrors facing each other? That’s literally what you’re describing where the light keeps being reflected back and fourth. When 2 mirrors face each other I think people call it an “infinite mirror” and if u look at it, each time it reflects the image gets a bit darker meaning photons are being either lost or absorbed. (The mirror also gets a bit greener each time it’s reflected meaning mirrors are actually green)

[@darpanpatel8023]

Chuck realising and getting his mind blown by science is so relatable. I remember my earlier days when I learnt about Lasers and other stuff.

[@shesheandtheblues6289]

This was one of their more goofy humor yet informative clips, love it! 🥰

[@MichelePardini]

Amazing. And the reference to Goldfinger was gold :D

[@michaelackerman8455]

Thank you so much! An intelligent explanation WITHOUT BACKGROUND MUSIC! Brilliant!

[@darkhound6461]

Woah !! this man just taught a chapter in physics just under 20 min in the best way possible.

[@benfrink376]

Sorry brother but its taught, not teached.

[@mccauleymccranie3752]

Laughed out loud when you said it's a spooky fact love it when you say that

[@Cepheid_]

Love the editing in this episode!

[@duanehastrich1460]

I especially enjoyed this video. Star Talk is always worth the watching. Much gratitude.

[@malChhangte]

you always learn and laugh here, tysm👍

[@louisdz5325]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="369">6:09</a> i freaking jumped out of my seat xD

[@sameppink9401]

I think Neil nearly did too lol

[@helsiclife]

This was very informative and interesting! Thanks for sharing!

[@c2gsovermind]

learned about lasers in college physics class, so this was a nice refresher (though the math regarding lasers was a bit too tough for me...) The James Bond reference was a nice bonus! The laser was indeed Goldfinger, but the villain with the cat was Earst Blofeld (had to look that up). Two villain references for the price of one!

[@Mi2Lethal]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="328">5:28</a> that sneak diss from Neil lol

[@tylerscudder9358]

Amazing, I always wanted to learn more about lasers.

[@StarTalk]

This video was made just for you

[@JohnDoe-kj2cs]

Great duo! Especially Neil, my man, make the complex look simple 😀😀!

[@misguided8236]

I love when Chuck's 💬💡 moments occur! 🤣 It happens every episode too! You guys are awesome together!

[@unnamedchannel1237]

I love how father and Son are on these videos, makes it so heart warming they do this channel together.

[@djohle3430]

"that's kinda illegal... oh, but you... you know people" lol

[@KyeEnzoden]

I love the rapport between these two.

[@SirNarax]

More of this please.

[@LiquidCool]

You forgot the most important application of the laser: cats!

[@abelr5281]

I like these short clips of certain subjects make more startalk ⭐️

[@StarTalk]

We've got more coming! Stay tuned.

[@andriusdi]

As always, great duo !

[@bob_s_drawkcab]

I love how excited they get!

[@Hussein_Nur]

Could not watch the premiere live, had to wait for the upload. It was unavailable in my location unfortunately. :(

[@StarTalk]

It’s available everywhere - we had an issue with the old video so it was reuploded.

[@musaid5647]

Thumb's up for Albert Einstien

[@BoshiYoshi]

I could listen to these two all day. They're the best team.

[@davidcayden]

You guys are the best. I really cant get enough ....

[@asheragoddess8894]

So glad I am a laser getting activated with this gamma ray time loop !

[@warehousevirtuals]

I was watching cosmos' "light episode" and this was upload. What a coincidence

[@dankdreamz]

Look into the laws of large numbers and you will see it was more incidental than coincidentally.

[@NK-wf1bu]

Thank you for uploading the video, very helpful🙂👌👍

[@marksilver1573]

Man, these two make learning fun!!

[@twstf8905]

Neil, "So....." deGrasse Tyson

[@Yash-em2qm]

I love Neil 🤘

[@Vanyx1000]

love these two

[@KismetBP]

Nearly 50 years on the planet 🌎 and just found out what lasers are all about in a few minutes. Gonna show this to my kids. Brilliant, love learning new stuff everyday. ❤️🤘

[@emmettforrestel1071]

Neil is very epic

[@Noah-nt4tb]

Wait how does the bath of exciting photons stimulate the emission of additional photons?

[@Iamwrongbut]

If Chuck didn’t interrupt Neil so much we’d probably know haha

[@lioneleminence3401]

We still don't know.

[@feynmanschwingere_mc2270]

Fun Fact, Einstein wrote the first paper on the LASER. Should've win a Nobel Prize for it. Super genius.

[@whodatking26]

Great editing in these

[@TheHarrisonHd]

NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON IS ENTERTAINING ENOUGH ALL BY HIMSELF

[@OverlordZephyros]

Good good but .. How do I get my death star?? Asking for a friend 😏

[@nicfoster4094]

You must follow the force 😂

[@shambosaha9727]

Watch the Science Asylum video on it.

[@dadano48]

Go to Amazon.com...!! lol

[@MrDirtydisco]

I got Cateract surgery, and there was some leftover layers left after the initial operation, that was removed by slamming two lasers together at the exact spot where the layers were in my eye,. Took 2 minutes, and was done manually by a doctor with a good electron microscope and a couple lasers. amazing tbh

[@michaelbibby01]

Chuck Nice is the #1 reason I listen to these any time I drive or have spare time. Came for Neil, stayed for Chuck. Love the show, please never end it.

[@ajiboladaniel9386]

Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation = LASER. Thank you for this video.

[@soberhippie]

And on the third day Einstein said "Let there be laser", and there was a laser. And he saw that it was cool. And then he rested. And while he rested, he did all sorts of mental experiments.

[@thupdennaksang8758]

love this duo!!

[@TheSwiftMagician]

Good video guys! I have one of those little green lasers. I’m an amateur astronomer, and I love taking my big “expensive” telescope out to public star parties and other events. I find that people are more impressed by my inexpensive little green laser, than by my $4,000 computer-guided telescope. I can be showing the Rings of Saturn, but my most frequent comments are about that little green laser… and how much did it cost?.. and where can I get one?? I love how one kid said: “It looks like it’s touching the star!” 🤪😎😄

[@EmpyreanLightASMR]

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="298">4:58</a> He never answers this question :( I tried looking online but can't figure out who would have "a lot of lasers".

[@theduder2617]

He was just about to say "Bell Labs" (physicists) before Chuck mentioned James Bond.

[@Seif97ify]

Where does the photons that excites the electrons come from?

[@stranger_danger1900]

A flash tube or LED.

[@dankdreamz]

@@stranger_danger1900 any idea why Neil was describing the disproved Bohr model of the atom when he said electrons orbit the nucleus?

[@feynmanschwingere_mc2270]

@@dankdreamz We still use that model today in schools as a layperson has an easier time understanding that than Probability waves and electron clouds.

[@feynmanschwingere_mc2270]

An electrical pump

[@tracysmith1871]

Happy Halloween Neil and Chuck.... absolutely love you two together. Keep them coming 💗

[@francisjohnson665]

Interesting. Always learn something new from this show .

[@pricey0986ify]

Actually it was Dr Evil who made the "laser"

[@racebiketuner]

I saw it in a "historical document," so it must be true!

[@themoribundapathetic4530]

oof im not first

[@cookieshousecannabisco6963]

but just as cool as someone who did. :D

[@themoribundapathetic4530]

@@cookieshousecannabisco6963 :'D

[@christopherrippel2463]

You guys kill me!! Just the opening photo... I have not even watched this video yet! 😎👍

[@bitebetsy]

I wish I could attach an image. My brother created the first Residential Laser Installation in an Abstract Art Collector's home in Dallas, TX USA - back in the mid-nineteen-eighties - using two types - Argon, & Radon Gas devices. It had to be certified both by the FAA & FDA. The setup included air-directed smoke devices, and was primarily used for entertainment - not so much for the art - which was highlight by specialized Halcyon & LED Lighting - whose technologies continue to advance yearly.

[@praisesun680]

First

[@davidfuhr5455]

Damn it you win

[@joshuagranger2529]

Faack you

[@praisesun680]

@@davidfuhr5455 first time

[@davidfuhr5455]

I went for the like first, thats what cost me first comment which we all know is what REALLY matters. I tip my hat good sir

[@bokeembridge7197]

Very good program

[@ynothim3597]

You are really great👍👍. I can watch your show all day long. easy, simple, funny, and without overstrain😘👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@BoRerunn]

Awesome for start making short interesting videos about cool deep things

[@bigfoenation]

I wish I had this show when I was a kid.

[@oroths]

mind blown again... thanks!

[@caroldieball4293]

These two make the best pair! Neil is already captivating. But with Chuck added, they are on another level.

[@Jafste]

I don't know how to say this, but I keep listening to Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson, while I am programming.

[@flatblack9279]

Neil straight up jumped when chuck screamed about the laser on his stomach. Had me dieing. Lol

[@SLiPCoR]

I really love your chemistry. When I started watching you guys coming from whoever was there before Chuck (back in the day, many ppl around a big table ina big round of smart ppl and a token funny dude), I thought he's just a guy that wants to be funny, but there were so many great moments like today where I really see that Chuck is funny and is genuinely interested and knowledgeable in these science facts and not just focused on his punch lines. Really really great, you two :) One small criticism about your graphics, though. Looking at them I understood that the electron consumes the photon, but that would mean the net energy / amount of photons flying around would be constant and then there would be no accumulation, right? So as I looked it up it looks like that for every "excitement" there is one more photon flying in the same direction, right? Not quite sure I understand where the energy COMES FROM ... or the photons.... but that's ok. I do not need to understand everything xD

[@aremedios]

Congrats... I love this guys...

[@marks8437]

Great episode. I love your banter, it makes the concepts more approachable, although I had to rewind a few times because I laughing and missed what was said. 😁

[@maanor401]

This was a fun video you guys should do this more often

[@StarTalk]

Stay tuned!

[@lastpoet1]

these 2 are great at working together.

[@aravindsamyashok4785]

I haven't known that science is this much fun! 😃every class should have a teacher like him and a student like my boi!

[@kevindondrea144]

Your reaction at <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="260">4:20</a> of the video Chuck was a perfect recreation of the Amplification by Stimulated Emission. :) You guys really make these videos fun to learn... No matter what Doctor Sheldon Cooper says. XD

[@vihashah5975]

Thanks Niel and Chuck u guys are the best!!

[@ratlips4363]

I used to build PMTs for Varian in the 70s. Could you do a segment on what they are, how they work, and what they are used for?

[@zZZZzzZzzZzzzzzzZzzzz000]

I just love this man i'll make a video with his best moments

[@maestrobassyo2]

I listen to you while going to bed, my neighbors complained about Chuck's screaming:D