In the early ’80s, I was working for the largest non-governmental US laser manufacturer. Our division was focused on industrial and scientific lasers.
The most powerful industrial model was a 5 megawatt chemical-pumped contraption the size of a Mini Cooper. The beam was about 6 inches wide, but when focused down to a 8mm beam, it was a WONDERFUL stand-in for Goldfinger’s Laser. ZZZzzziiiT!
Well, the way the engineers would test the focus of the 6-inch beam was to put a big firebrick up against the outside wall, fire up the beast, and measure the focus.
Except that time when they forgot the firebrick.
THAT time, everybody in the whole factory heard a Quite Loud Boom, and rushed into the main hall. What we found was:
- All personnel were OK
- The laser was safed.
- Several of the concrete bricks in the outer factory wall had been reduced to a fine powder
- …and we realized we had just sent a 5 MW laser beam THROUGH THE PARKING LOT and on into San Jose.
Luckily, nobody was injured (that we knew of), and we had to buy one of the engineers a new car.
