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Where Randomness Meets Subatomic Precision

In 1960, Theodore Maiman and co-workers created the world’s first laser. Working on the principle of Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation, the beam produced by a laser is unique in that all the photons in the beam have both the same wavelength and the same phase. Because of this innocuous-sounding property, the humble… Continue reading Where Randomness Meets Subatomic Precision

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Ripples in Space Open New Window on Cosmos

[This feature article was originally written for Popular Astronomy and appears in their May/June 2016 issue.]   A little over a billion years ago, back when complex life on Earth was just getting started, two black holes were colliding in a far-off galaxy. Each as massive as thirty Suns, these two behemoths spiralled towards each… Continue reading Ripples in Space Open New Window on Cosmos