Theodore Maiman was born in Los Angeles in 1927 and went on to study physics, gaining his PhD in 1955. He started work on a maser: a machine which concentrated microwaves, and later applied the same principle to light. In 1960 he produced the most intense light ever: a laser (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation). Lasers have revolutionised many areas of life, including medicine and communication.
