Gov't Report: Laser Pointers Produce Too Much Energy, Pose Risk For the Careless 260
coondoggie writes "Commercial grade green and red laser pointers emit energy far beyond what is safe, posing skin, eye and fire hazards. That was the conclusion of a National Institute of Standards and Technology study on the properties of handheld lasers. The study tested 122 of the devices and found that nearly 90% of green pointers and about 44% of red pointers tested were out of federal safety regulation compliance."
At least the moon is safe of those careless people (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:So then... (Score:5, Interesting)
I saw this article earlier and it's a bit misleading. Buried much more deeply...
That whole "Class IIIa/3R" thing is a pretty big deal. Lasers of this class are pretty heavily regulated because of the danger they can potentially pose. The color of the laser is almost unimportant, except for the minor detail of how green lasers are generated by dividing infrared light in half, which makes them subject to a bit more regulation since infrared is not a visible emission; invisible emissions are more strictly regulated, since there's no blink reflex to save your eyes.
I wonder what percentage of commercial laser pointers are Class IIIa/3R?
For the record, I did some research on lasers, because we were going to incorporate one into one of our products...until we learned how heavily regulated they are, and went with a diode that pumps out like 50x as much wattage, but doesn't fall under regulations since the emissions aren't coherent. Throughout my research, I learned that no one - literally, no one - has ever reported being injured by a Class IIIa/3R laser. The danger posed by these emissions is more theoretical than practice.
Re: I'd rather not go blind (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:How else... (Score:4, Interesting)
are we supposed to fight the sharks?
Just claim to be a member of the NRA and any attempt by the gummint to lower power is infringing your 2nd amendment rights.
It's the NLA, the National LASER Association, and we do have a serious lobbying effort underway.
If the founding fathers had had lasers, then they'd have done fine without France's support.
We of the NRGA (National Rail Gun Association) salute you.
I'll see your 30 round clip and raise you 10 pounds of 10 penny finishing nails.
Re:How else... (Score:2, Interesting)
I bought an overpowered green laser "pointer" because it seemed neat-o. I keep it in a safe with my firearms, primarily because I have young children. The laser has zero practical value, although it is fun to pop dark-colored balloons with.
I have learned that anytime I show it to someone, if I let them handle it, they do something stupid with it. No matter how much I try to explain the importance of behaving responsibly, people don't get it.
Re:How else... (Score:5, Interesting)
I'm not a big fan of guns being easily available to all, but in my opinion guns have more practical/reasonable uses than high powered handheld lasers.
Yes you can use those lasers to point at stuff in the sky. And get yourself in big trouble if an aircraft happens to be in the area. I say use a lighted extendable stick instead.
With guns, you can't shoot continuously for minutes. With lasers you can. If you pick the right scenario (everyone looking at the same area) you can blind a lot of people.
Couldn't a high powered laser be used as a defensive device? If someone tries to rob you, you could blind them, perhaps irreparably. Though a bit macabre, in many cases that might be a better option than simply killing them with a gun (let it be known, though, that if someone broke into my house and I had a laser and a gun... I'd grab the gun).