There have been many inventions that have transformed our
society from the computer to vaccinations to celluloid. Inspired by
the TIME article, 'Best Inventions 2019', which listed
innovations in beauty, sustainability, education, health care and
design to name a few, we asked some of the people of Haseltine Lake
Kempner what their favourite inventions are.
Natasha Fairbairn, Associate in our Tech team, considers the
laser (which stands for light amplification by stimulated emission
of radiation) to be "one of the best physics-based inventions
in recent history. There is still some controversy surrounding who
first invented the laser, but the first working laser was built in
1960 by Theodore Maiman. Many different areas of technology make
use of laser technology, including fibre optic communications,
laser surgery, CD and DVD players, barcode scanners and laser
printers. The invention of the laser has also led to huge advances
in scientific discovery and measurement
