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From: domo@riddle.UUCP (Dominic Dunlop)
Newsgroups: sci.physics,sci.misc,misc.misc
Subject: Re: Einstein's relativity and daily life
Message-ID: <498@riddle.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 5-Oct-87 12:19:10 EDT
Article-I.D.: riddle.498
Posted: Mon Oct  5 12:19:10 1987
Date-Received: Mon, 12-Oct-87 22:28:19 EDT
References: <391@nikhefh.UUCP>
Reply-To: domo@riddle.UUCP (Dominic Dunlop)
Organization: Sphinx Ltd., Maidenhead, England
Lines: 19
Keywords: science for the people
Summary: Lasers consequence of quantum theory, not relativity
Xref: mnetor sci.physics:2471 sci.misc:540 misc.misc:1935

In article <391@nikhefh.UUCP> jona@nikhefh.UUCP (Jona Oberski) writes:
>
>What would YOU answer to the following:
>
>Question: Which things - common instruments, consumergoods, etc. - would not
>exist if we would not have Einstein's Theory of Relativity: "ETR"?
>
>...
>
>A2. No lasers. (??; hardly common experience).

Just to be pedantic -- my specialty (or was that speciality?) -- are not
lasers a consequence of the teachings of quantum theory -- God playing
dice, and all that?  I don't think relativity has much to do with
understanding the operation of the things, although, once working, they
make excellent tools for investigating relativistic effects.

Dominic Dunlop
domo@riddle.uucp  domo@sphinx.co.uk