3 ms·

Peacock feathers can be lasers

26 points by ohjeez 1y ago

bell-cot 1y ago
Could someone update the Evil Overlord List? Peacocks are for-sure cheaper to keep than sharks, and we all know about prioritizing useful expenditures over intimidating decor.
- ge96 1y ago
  Turns out it wasn't a mating display, it was a heat ray
- Terr_ 1y ago
  "You may have noticed my garden contains many... intoxicating flowers, Mr. Bond. However your downfall—which you cannot smell—comes from the Peacock Aggression Pheromones, which are being released as we speak."
  - Grosvenor 1y ago
    There was a cool scene in William Gibsons the peripheral involving bees.
    - hinkley 1y ago
      The greenhouse scene in Minority Report is also good.
- toast0 1y ago
  Peacocks are intimidating regardless of the coherence of their light emissions. I would think twice before crossing someone who had roaming peacocks defending their Evil Lair.
xeonmc 1y ago
Is it actually lasing or is it just fluorescence filtered by the microstructure? Definition of lasing entails nonlinear processes, the article seems to only indicate monochromaticity which can be achieved via linear filtering alone? Additionally, nonlinear processes don’t immediately imply lasing either. It could be anharmonicity causing high order harmonics, which many biological materials will exhibit in response to intense laser sources[0]. In order to actually qualify as lasing you need to have evidence of coherent amplification. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-photon_excitation_microscopy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-photon_excitation_microsco...
- cycomanic 1y ago
  I agree, the question if something is a laser is actually quite complex and a lot of things that were claimed to be lasers turned out to only be amplified emission. Nature photonics made a checklist for this very reason (note I did not read the actual article so they might have ticked of that list) https://www.nature.com/articles/nphoton.2017.28 https://www.nature.com/articles/nphoton.2017.28
krukah 1y ago
Yesterday was Pigeons As Hard Drives, today is Peacocks As Lasers. I look forward to what tomorrow brings.
- deleted 1y ago
  [deleted]
- throwaway889900 1y ago
  Combine them with a phalarope to make a fully functioning CD player?
- hinkley 1y ago
  I think I have a story idea for Austin Powers 4
jvdvegt 1y ago
https://archive.is/K4de9 https://archive.is/K4de9
deleted 1y ago
[deleted]

26 points by ohjeez 1y ago

Could someone update the Evil Overlord List? Peacocks are for-sure cheaper to keep than sharks, and we all know about prioritizing useful expenditures over intimidating decor.

ge96 1y ago
Turns out it wasn't a mating display, it was a heat ray
Terr_ 1y ago
"You may have noticed my garden contains many... intoxicating flowers, Mr. Bond. However your downfall—which you cannot smell—comes from the Peacock Aggression Pheromones, which are being released as we speak."
- Grosvenor 1y ago
  There was a cool scene in William Gibsons the peripheral involving bees.
  - hinkley 1y ago
    The greenhouse scene in Minority Report is also good.
toast0 1y ago
Peacocks are intimidating regardless of the coherence of their light emissions. I would think twice before crossing someone who had roaming peacocks defending their Evil Lair.

xeonmc 1y ago

Is it actually lasing or is it just fluorescence filtered by the microstructure? Definition of lasing entails nonlinear processes, the article seems to only indicate monochromaticity which can be achieved via linear filtering alone? Additionally, nonlinear processes don’t immediately imply lasing either. It could be anharmonicity causing high order harmonics, which many biological materials will exhibit in response to intense laser sources[0]. In order to actually qualify as lasing you need to have evidence of coherent amplification. [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-photon_excitation_microscopy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two-photon_excitation_microsco...

cycomanic 1y ago
I agree, the question if something is a laser is actually quite complex and a lot of things that were claimed to be lasers turned out to only be amplified emission. Nature photonics made a checklist for this very reason (note I did not read the actual article so they might have ticked of that list) https://www.nature.com/articles/nphoton.2017.28 https://www.nature.com/articles/nphoton.2017.28

krukah 1y ago

Yesterday was Pigeons As Hard Drives, today is Peacocks As Lasers. I look forward to what tomorrow brings.

deleted 1y ago
[deleted]
throwaway889900 1y ago
Combine them with a phalarope to make a fully functioning CD player?
hinkley 1y ago
I think I have a story idea for Austin Powers 4

jvdvegt 1y ago

https://archive.is/K4de9 https://archive.is/K4de9

deleted 1y ago

[deleted]