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How the Laser Happened: Adventures of a Scientist
In How the Laser Happened , Nobel laureate Charles Townes provides a highly personal look at some of the leading events in twentieth-century physics. Townes was inventor of the maser, of which the laser is one example; an originator of spectroscopy using microwaves; and a pioneer in the study of gas clouds in galaxies and around stars. Throughout his career he has also been deeply engaged with issues outside of academic research. He worked on applied research projects for Bell Labs; served on the board of directors for General Motors; and devoted extensive effort to advising the government on science, policy, and defense.
This memoir traces his multifaceted career from its beginnings on the family farm in South Carolina. Spanning decades of ground-breaking research, the book provides a hands-on description of how working scientists and inventors get their ideas. It also gives a behind-the-scenes look at the scientific community, showing how scientists respond to new ideas and how they approach a variety of issues, from priority and patents to the social and political implications of their work. In addition, Townes touches on the sociology of science, uncovering some of the traditions and values that are invisible to an outsider.
A towering and energetic figure, Townes has explored or pioneered most of the roles available to the modern scientist. In addition to fundamental research, he was actively involved in the practical uses of the laser and in the court cases to defend the patent rights. He was a founding member of the Jasons, an influential group of scientists that independently advises the government on defense policy, and he played an active part in scientific decisions and policies from the Truman through the Reagan administration. This lively memoir, packed with first-hand accounts and historical anecdotes, is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the history of science and an inspiring example for students considering scientific careers.
This memoir traces his multifaceted career from its beginnings on the family farm in South Carolina. Spanning decades of ground-breaking research, the book provides a hands-on description of how working scientists and inventors get their ideas. It also gives a behind-the-scenes look at the scientific community, showing how scientists respond to new ideas and how they approach a variety of issues, from priority and patents to the social and political implications of their work. In addition, Townes touches on the sociology of science, uncovering some of the traditions and values that are invisible to an outsider.
A towering and energetic figure, Townes has explored or pioneered most of the roles available to the modern scientist. In addition to fundamental research, he was actively involved in the practical uses of the laser and in the court cases to defend the patent rights. He was a founding member of the Jasons, an influential group of scientists that independently advises the government on defense policy, and he played an active part in scientific decisions and policies from the Truman through the Reagan administration. This lively memoir, packed with first-hand accounts and historical anecdotes, is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in the history of science and an inspiring example for students considering scientific careers.
208 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1999
13 people are currently reading
158 people want to read
About the author
Charles H. Townes
12 books5 followersCharles Hard Townes was an Nobel Prize-winning physicist, known for his work on the theory and application of the maser, as well as quantum electronics and laser technology. He shared the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1964 with Nikolay Basov and Alexander Prokhorov.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
December 1, 2017
I learned stuff, which is something I really value in books. The book was pretty well written, though at times it devolved into language that seemed pulled straight out of science papers (I am a scientist so you'd think I like that but I fall asleep reading papers) and also there was way too much discussion of who sat on what committee. While that may have been enjoyable IRL, it makes for really dry reading. Those issues aside, the story here cast a lot of (coherent, *rimshot*) light on the process of invention. I particularly enjoyed that it was coming from the perspective of a scientist. It was also interesting to read about how research was funded historically (commercially like at Bell Labs and by the military otherwise) and the sense of national duty that people felt to contribute to the wars. I've always been strongly anti-war and anti-military, but this gave me a new perspective and has scooched me closer to the center -- which are other things that I highly value in books.
April 16, 2023
فقط میتونم بگم بالاخره تموم شد :)) برای فهمیدن این کتاب به خصوص آخرهاش باید یه کارشناسی اخترفیزیک گرفت
July 6, 2021
Although the chapter on patent litigation gets a little dry (which is why it took me so long to finish this book), it is followed by some amazing stories about Charles’ involvement in defense and aerospace. What a fascinating, inspiring, incredibly intelligent steadfast yet unflappable mind.
October 17, 2021
In this book, Townes tells the story of maser invention. The ideas and thought processes that led to maser was meticulously written down. Sometimes this leads to dullness and dryness. I think that he wanted to elaborate how a scientist's mind operates and thus included many details. His narration of development of maser with numerous historical scientific discoveries are done brilliantly and I enjoyed that part the most. However, rest of the book was not attractive for me since it mostly consists of his career as a consultant for scientific advisory boards. He shares some of his memoirs from cold war era with top-ranked officials. What struck me most about these parts were that many science committees were established to advise the government, military and companies. This explains clearly how the U.S. became a world leader in technology development.
Parts that were interesting for me:
" This history- including the subsequent impact of the maser and its optical version, the laser- leads to an important point that must be in the forefront of any long-term scientific or technical planning. Some science historians, looking back on these days, have concluded that we were being in some way orchestrated, managed, manipulated, or maneuvered by the military, as though the Navy already expected explicit uses for millimeter waves and even anticipated something like the maser and laser... The military seemed quite uninterested in my maser work until some time after it was proven. What was critical was that I was free to work on what I thought was interesting and important. When one looks back in time, cause and effect sometimes get turned around. Industry and the military were important sources of generous support, but- in an experience shared by many academic scientists- throughout my career I have had to convince others, including sponsors, to let me keep following my own instincts and interests. Very often, this pays off."
"He(Bill Mclean) had been developing an idea of his. It was called Sidewinder, after a small rattlesnake native to the area. A rattlesnake gauges its strike by using the warmth of its prey as a guide, and so did McLean's Sidewinder , which became the prototype of a very important class of air-to-air missiles... Its "eye" was an array of four infrared detectors which, by responding to heat from another plane's engine, could guide the missile left, right, up, down , to keep it right on track to an interception."
"Yet after a Nobel Prize, scientists can find that their scientific career is more or less finished. The prize often comes rather late in a scientist's career. And Nobelists are then likely to be asked to fulfill a wide variety of public functions, to consult or speak on various public issues, and so can be distracted from the very intense work usually needed for important scientific contributions
Parts that were interesting for me:
" This history- including the subsequent impact of the maser and its optical version, the laser- leads to an important point that must be in the forefront of any long-term scientific or technical planning. Some science historians, looking back on these days, have concluded that we were being in some way orchestrated, managed, manipulated, or maneuvered by the military, as though the Navy already expected explicit uses for millimeter waves and even anticipated something like the maser and laser... The military seemed quite uninterested in my maser work until some time after it was proven. What was critical was that I was free to work on what I thought was interesting and important. When one looks back in time, cause and effect sometimes get turned around. Industry and the military were important sources of generous support, but- in an experience shared by many academic scientists- throughout my career I have had to convince others, including sponsors, to let me keep following my own instincts and interests. Very often, this pays off."
"He(Bill Mclean) had been developing an idea of his. It was called Sidewinder, after a small rattlesnake native to the area. A rattlesnake gauges its strike by using the warmth of its prey as a guide, and so did McLean's Sidewinder , which became the prototype of a very important class of air-to-air missiles... Its "eye" was an array of four infrared detectors which, by responding to heat from another plane's engine, could guide the missile left, right, up, down , to keep it right on track to an interception."
"Yet after a Nobel Prize, scientists can find that their scientific career is more or less finished. The prize often comes rather late in a scientist's career. And Nobelists are then likely to be asked to fulfill a wide variety of public functions, to consult or speak on various public issues, and so can be distracted from the very intense work usually needed for important scientific contributions
July 16, 2017
This is Charles Townes' biographical account of the invention of the maser and laser. Townes shared in the Nobel awarded for this invention (and not exactly its discovery, which is an interesting point raised in the book).
This account of the discovery of the laser is exciting to say the least. Townes is a brilliant expositor of the workings of the laser and the many applications it finds itself in today. The maser was first demonstrated in Townes' lab in the early 50s, and as Townes describes it, his interest in its construction wasn't exactly a top priority of the field of spectroscopy at the time (his PhD was on the topic). After a brief stint at Bell Labs, which included a failed project for the US Army during World War II, Townes moved to a faculty position in Columbia upon accepting an offer from I.I. Rabi, one of the star faculty members there at the time.
The chapters of the book that detail his first decade and Columbia make for the most absorbing reading in my opinion. Townes brings up some rather interesting points about the invention of the maser. First off, the idea of stimulated emission dated back to at least Albert Einstein. There were reportedly several publications over the next few decades (which referred to the phenomenon as negative absorption rather than stimulated emission). Townes' own interest in building one came from the US Army's interest in producing waves of short wavelengths. Townes does set the record straight at this point on his motivation and the sources of funding that led to the construction of the maser. While the grants for the maser did indeed come from the defence establishment, that was more to do with the fact that defence bodies were pretty much the sole sources of financial support at the time. Townes insists this support came with no strings attached as the government didn't quite see the applications of masers to the armed forces. Secondly, Townes insists that the construction of the maser wasn't guided by the defence establishment either.
These parts make for absorbing reading partly because it is an origin story of sorts and partly for the pace and style of narration. The scent of discovery and breakthrough seems to lurk on unread pages as Townes explains the challenges and doubts that he and his students faced during this initial phase of the maser's development. What stands out in these chapters is the disbelief of the physics community when Townes successfully constructed a maser in his lab. Bohr and Rabi reportedly told him that what he demonstrated was physically impossible! Townes is rather forgiving of these responses when he states that these were people who didn't go over his calculations in detail and were relying on faulty intuition when they responded the way they did. To me, the fact that Townes carried on his work in the face of disbelief from such heavyweights attests to his confidence in his calculations and his experimental skills.
What is perhaps missing in these chapters is a raw emotional account of these times. While his job security was not in doubt (he had tenure at Columbia), what was it that kept him rooted during his times? Was it just a sheer amount of confidence in his abilities? Did his sense of religion keep him grounded? I feel these are important aspects of an account of discovery and missing them out leave the reader groping for the human element in these events.
The book then transitions to a year of his travels through Europe and Asia (which included a stop-over in India) during which an interest in astronomy came alive. Astronomy seemed like the "killer app" of masers at the time, and Townes would go on to install a maser amplifier at a Naval Research Laboratory antenna in the US. The radio astronomer Arno Penzias, who along with Robert Wilson discovered the cosmic microwave background, was in fact a PhD student of Townes. While Townes continued on work that helped Bell Labs secure an early patent on lasers, he also spent a lot of time in Washington providing policy advice to the American government after the launch of Sputnik.
This was an aspect of Townes' life I wasn't remotely aware of. His openness and willingness to indulge in scientific dialogue with the American army and the government is perhaps in contrast to the attitudes we see in Indian science today. A co-founder of the "Jasons", a group of scientists who gained classified access to defence department ideas in order to provide their inputs, Townes seems to have had as much energy in pursuing matters of policy as he did his research. His shift to UC Berkeley after winning the Nobel brought him into conflict with the extreme left liberal values of the UC as he brought along his consultancy work on the Vietnam War with him. Describing himself as the "middle of a political sandwich", Townes continued advising the US government even as he personally felt that the US involvement in Vietnam was a bad idea. He pragmatically argued to outraged colleagues that *given* American involvement in the war, it made sense to him to continue to provide scientific input to the armed forces if it meant fewer casualties on either side of the war. Perhaps what surprised me was his belief that providing scientific input in public life was something he considered to be a duty as a scientist. An attitude worth thinking about perhaps.
These chapters of his book, which detail his involvement in Washington and his consultancy work for the government make for rather dry reading. While the above-mentioned moral dilemmas he found himself in make you pause and think, the more interesting chapter inter-spersed here is his involvement in a patent dispute over the laser. Again, what struck me was his charitable attitude to the legal opponents he was against. While Townes felt comfortable handing patent rights over to Bell Labs, there were other organizations who raced to patent variations of the laser. I must admit that I find it hard to believe there was no bitterness between Townes and his opponents but his experiences on what it takes to get a patent make for important reading for any student of science and engineering. The book signs off with description of some of his discoveries in radio astronomy, including the discoveries of masers in space. A last short chapter talks about his thoughts on science but ends in a manner that leaves the reader wanting more.
Ultimately, the book stands out as an account of discovery largely due to how unpretentiously it is written. I think its easy for a scientist to look back on his or her life and paint a linear trajectory that led up to a moment of perceived greatness. That Townes avoids this makes it a book worth reading.
This account of the discovery of the laser is exciting to say the least. Townes is a brilliant expositor of the workings of the laser and the many applications it finds itself in today. The maser was first demonstrated in Townes' lab in the early 50s, and as Townes describes it, his interest in its construction wasn't exactly a top priority of the field of spectroscopy at the time (his PhD was on the topic). After a brief stint at Bell Labs, which included a failed project for the US Army during World War II, Townes moved to a faculty position in Columbia upon accepting an offer from I.I. Rabi, one of the star faculty members there at the time.
The chapters of the book that detail his first decade and Columbia make for the most absorbing reading in my opinion. Townes brings up some rather interesting points about the invention of the maser. First off, the idea of stimulated emission dated back to at least Albert Einstein. There were reportedly several publications over the next few decades (which referred to the phenomenon as negative absorption rather than stimulated emission). Townes' own interest in building one came from the US Army's interest in producing waves of short wavelengths. Townes does set the record straight at this point on his motivation and the sources of funding that led to the construction of the maser. While the grants for the maser did indeed come from the defence establishment, that was more to do with the fact that defence bodies were pretty much the sole sources of financial support at the time. Townes insists this support came with no strings attached as the government didn't quite see the applications of masers to the armed forces. Secondly, Townes insists that the construction of the maser wasn't guided by the defence establishment either.
These parts make for absorbing reading partly because it is an origin story of sorts and partly for the pace and style of narration. The scent of discovery and breakthrough seems to lurk on unread pages as Townes explains the challenges and doubts that he and his students faced during this initial phase of the maser's development. What stands out in these chapters is the disbelief of the physics community when Townes successfully constructed a maser in his lab. Bohr and Rabi reportedly told him that what he demonstrated was physically impossible! Townes is rather forgiving of these responses when he states that these were people who didn't go over his calculations in detail and were relying on faulty intuition when they responded the way they did. To me, the fact that Townes carried on his work in the face of disbelief from such heavyweights attests to his confidence in his calculations and his experimental skills.
What is perhaps missing in these chapters is a raw emotional account of these times. While his job security was not in doubt (he had tenure at Columbia), what was it that kept him rooted during his times? Was it just a sheer amount of confidence in his abilities? Did his sense of religion keep him grounded? I feel these are important aspects of an account of discovery and missing them out leave the reader groping for the human element in these events.
The book then transitions to a year of his travels through Europe and Asia (which included a stop-over in India) during which an interest in astronomy came alive. Astronomy seemed like the "killer app" of masers at the time, and Townes would go on to install a maser amplifier at a Naval Research Laboratory antenna in the US. The radio astronomer Arno Penzias, who along with Robert Wilson discovered the cosmic microwave background, was in fact a PhD student of Townes. While Townes continued on work that helped Bell Labs secure an early patent on lasers, he also spent a lot of time in Washington providing policy advice to the American government after the launch of Sputnik.
This was an aspect of Townes' life I wasn't remotely aware of. His openness and willingness to indulge in scientific dialogue with the American army and the government is perhaps in contrast to the attitudes we see in Indian science today. A co-founder of the "Jasons", a group of scientists who gained classified access to defence department ideas in order to provide their inputs, Townes seems to have had as much energy in pursuing matters of policy as he did his research. His shift to UC Berkeley after winning the Nobel brought him into conflict with the extreme left liberal values of the UC as he brought along his consultancy work on the Vietnam War with him. Describing himself as the "middle of a political sandwich", Townes continued advising the US government even as he personally felt that the US involvement in Vietnam was a bad idea. He pragmatically argued to outraged colleagues that *given* American involvement in the war, it made sense to him to continue to provide scientific input to the armed forces if it meant fewer casualties on either side of the war. Perhaps what surprised me was his belief that providing scientific input in public life was something he considered to be a duty as a scientist. An attitude worth thinking about perhaps.
These chapters of his book, which detail his involvement in Washington and his consultancy work for the government make for rather dry reading. While the above-mentioned moral dilemmas he found himself in make you pause and think, the more interesting chapter inter-spersed here is his involvement in a patent dispute over the laser. Again, what struck me was his charitable attitude to the legal opponents he was against. While Townes felt comfortable handing patent rights over to Bell Labs, there were other organizations who raced to patent variations of the laser. I must admit that I find it hard to believe there was no bitterness between Townes and his opponents but his experiences on what it takes to get a patent make for important reading for any student of science and engineering. The book signs off with description of some of his discoveries in radio astronomy, including the discoveries of masers in space. A last short chapter talks about his thoughts on science but ends in a manner that leaves the reader wanting more.
Ultimately, the book stands out as an account of discovery largely due to how unpretentiously it is written. I think its easy for a scientist to look back on his or her life and paint a linear trajectory that led up to a moment of perceived greatness. That Townes avoids this makes it a book worth reading.
December 11, 2020
Better Call Saul meets the Laser!
Joke aside, I enjoyed much more the physics parts in comparison to the "law suits and copyrights" parts even though they gave some valuable lessons.
Finally, I was expecting a little more focus on the Laser's theory but I guess this was a biography kind of book for a larger audience.
Joke aside, I enjoyed much more the physics parts in comparison to the "law suits and copyrights" parts even though they gave some valuable lessons.
Finally, I was expecting a little more focus on the Laser's theory but I guess this was a biography kind of book for a larger audience.
September 28, 2024
I’m really glad Townes wrote this book, but this book is primarily a history of what happened in his life… and not much time is devoted to explaining lasers or microwave spectroscopy to a general audience.
I wouldn’t recommend unless you are particularly interested in Townes life.
BEAM by Hecht is a better well-rounded history of the laser.
I wouldn’t recommend unless you are particularly interested in Townes life.
BEAM by Hecht is a better well-rounded history of the laser.
January 5, 2021
I thoroughly enjoyed this. While it could definitely be dry to non science enthusiasts and at times tedious with details about who and when, the what and why are incredibly interesting.
December 3, 2022
A look at the scientific method behind the creation of the laser.
July 31, 2011
Charles Townes is no incredible writer, but he does write these memoirs simply and plainly. I would not recommend the book to the layperson, but it is a must-read for people who are interested in technology and the sciences. I liked it a lot because it relates directly to the kind of research I'm doing presently. It's a great way to learn about how the field of laser science and quantum electronics was established.
April 17, 2011
A lot of interesting insight into the introduction of an incredibly significant technology as well as the working life of an excellent scientist.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews