Gas (CO2 ) laser, made in the Cambridge Department of Engineering, English, 1971 Wh.4560; Wh.4571

In 1971, lasers were novel and full of exciting potential. The first working lasers had been made in 1960, and carbon dioxide gas lasers, with their infrared beams invisible to the eye, were a particularly exciting development. They were the most powerful continuously operating lasers and could burn a hole in steel sheet. They brought reality to the ray guns of science fiction, and aspirations for future use in science fact in fields ranging from manufacturing to surgery.