I work with lasers, and I can say that the engineering of lasers is progressing at a pace that shocks me, and I have seen stunning progress in other areas of applied physics as well... heck- in the 70's no one was even talking about the concept of adaptive optics, yet now every big telescope uses it...
I have been working with lasers of all types for about 15 years and I have watched the field advance at a rate that boggles the mind. The laser guide star is a trivial example- the one I worked on, at keck 2, MIGHT fit in the trailer of a big rig.... the new one that was bought for keck 1 will fit in a pickup truck, and I worked with people hoping to make one that out performs the others and could fit in a suitcase....
So before you complain that progress is slowing, I suggest you take a poll of high schoolers today, and ask how many of them has ever listened to an actual record... :)
Off Topic » in reply to re: "engineering really hasn't progressed much since the 70s"
WAY too pessimistic
The whole thread (35 posts)
- This Atomic World
- another installment of Uranium Price Update:
- re: This Atomic World
- proper management and monitoring...
- Excellent overview. Thanks!
- Pray for Dr Bussard. (n/t)