Roles

Tyler – Data collection in the laser lab.

Luke – Research on examples of lasers in pop culture, as well as evaluating their validity based on our data/outside research.

Alexa – Research on use of lasers in military, and how our data explains why lasers make sense to use in these military contexts.

What is the science/technology involved?

The science/technology we are investigating is lasers, and we are studying how they can be used as weapons in a variety of different ways.

Activity Plan – How will you take the data, what equipment do we use, dates and meeting times?

We plan on taking data from a high-class laser in Vassar’s laser lab. We will test the laser on different surfaces of varying thickness. We want to measure certain variables such as penetration ability, energy output, and optical cavity size. We will meet at 6 o’clock on Mondays, and 6 o’clock on Thursdays.

What outcomes do we expect?

We expect that our data will reveal that lasers carry a great amount of potential for use as weapons. We also expect to find that the portrayal of lasers in science fiction isn’t plausible and doesn’t reflect the actual properties of lasers.