Fifty years ago Sunday, Hughes Labs researcher Theodore Maiman changed the world when he built the first working laser. Today, lasers can be found almost everywhere and are integral in many industries, from information technology (fiber optic networks) to health care (LASIK eye surgery) to home entertainment (CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray discs). In fact, it is estimated that half of America's gross domestic product is somehow connected to lasers. More at InsideScience.org.