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Charles Townes, How the Laser Happened: Adventures of a Scientist, Oxford University Press, New York, 1999. 256 pp. ISBN: 0-19-5122268-2.

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 March 2001

Heinrich Hora
Heinrich Hora
Affiliation:
University of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia
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Abstract

All of mankind, not only the readers of this Journal, is now fascinated by the laser. The process of many preceding physics discoveries beginning with Einstein (Zürich lecture, printed 1916, see A. Held, General Relativity and Gravitation One Hundred Years after the Birth of Einstein, Plenum, New York, 1980, Vol. 1, p. 17–21) and how this earth shattering discovery was not recognized by the giants in science is really a process of “how it happened” and the fact is: Charles Townes is its creator. Since there were some dark clouds through which this discovery of our century (next to the quantum theory and the theory of relativity) had to finally shine through, it is a revelation to now read what its creator has to say; modest, quiet, but true and fascinating.

Type
BOOK REVIEW
Information
Laser and Particle Beams , Volume 18 , Issue 1 , January 2000 , pp. 151 - 152
Copyright
© 2000 Cambridge University Press

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