Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!hplabs!hpda!hpcupt1!dclaar
From: dclaar@hpcupt1.HP.COM (Doug Claar)
Newsgroups: sci.electronics
Subject: Can lasers be deflected electroMAGNETically?
Message-ID: <6220004@hpcupt1.HP.COM>
Date: 28 Dec 89 19:17:48 GMT
Organization: Hewlett Packard, Cupertino
Lines: 27

Here's another naive laser question (BTW, is there a good text that might
help answer some of these?):

Why can't I do the following:

1) Pull a vacuum on the living room
2) Open my (black and white) TV's picture tube
3) Wash out the phospher
4) Replace the electron gun with a laser (If powerful enough, skip 3...)
5) Project 'I Love Lucy' onto my dirty window

Or, if intensity modulation is a problem, why can't I pull a vacuum on my
den and follow steps 2-4 for my monochrome monitor, and scare the 
neighbors by projecting Lotus 1-2-3 spreadsheets on the clouds.

OR IN SIMPLER TERMS (although I hope you enjoyed the bit of tongue in cheek
above): Why can't I deflect my laser electromagnetically, and not
electromechanically. (Oh, now you remember me--I was the one that asked how
to aim a laser, and most all of the responses where electromechanical, or
had various side effects (like diffusing the beam))

Any insight gratefully accepted.

Doug Claar
HP Computer Systems Division
UUCP: mcvax!decvax!hplabs!hpda!dclaar -or- ucbvax!hpda!dclaar
ARPA: dclaar%hpda@hplabs.HP.COM