Recognizing the 50th anniversary of the laser.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution (H. Res. 1310) recognizing the 50th anniversary of the laser.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H. Res. 1310, the resolution now under consideration.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 1310, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of the creation of the first laser.

The world's first laser was operated on May 16, 1960. It was constructed by Theodore Maiman at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California. This was a significant engineering and scientific feat.

Theodore Maiman's work was preceded by theoretical work by Charles Townes, James Gordon, Herbert Zeiger, Nikolay Basov, and Aleksandr Prokhorov. Townes, Basov, and Prokhorov won the 1964 Nobel Prize in Physics for their work.

One of the peculiarities of the achievement of the invention of the laser is that, for many years after its creation, the laser was an invention without many practical applications. However, as time went on, scientists and engineers recognized the incredible potential of the laser. Today, the laser is almost ubiquitous. It can be found in almost every home, office, and automobile in America. Lasers are also big business, with annual laser sales approaching $6 billion per year, and growing.

The story of the laser is illustrative of how investments in basic R&D can have huge economic and scientific implications down the road. It is a story to remember well as this Congress prepares to take up the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act in the coming weeks.

I would like to take a moment to recognize the sponsor of this resolution, Dr. Vern Ehlers. It is my understanding that, in a prior life, Dr. Ehlers knew one of the persons cited in this resolution, Dr. Townes, so it is especially fitting that he is the sponsor.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the resolution, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I would just ask that my colleagues support this resolution, H. Res. 1310, and I yield back the balance of my time.

I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H. Res. 1310 celebrates the 50th anniversary of the construction of the laser, marking a major milestone in scientific discovery.

In 1953, Charles Townes produced what would become a precursor to the laser--the first microwave amplifier. Townes and his colleagues teamed up with Bell Laboratories in 1957 to begin extensive research on the amplification devices. Their focus shifted only to those amplifiers which produced visible light. In 1958, Bell Laboratories submitted a patent for an optical laser. However, such a device had yet to be successfully created. It was not until Charles Townes and Gordon Gould met in 1958 that the fundamentals of the laser and of the open resonator design were first discussed. In 1960, Theodore Maiman constructed the first operational laser. He used theories and plans published by Bell Labs, Gould, and Townes to construct this remarkable device.

Charles Townes was later awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics, along with scientists Nikolay Basov and Aleksandr Prokhorov, for their work in quantum electronics, which laid the groundwork for the construction of lasers.

We rely on lasers in our daily lives, and they are found in everyday products, such as laser printers, barcode scanners, and numerous medical devices. The world sales of lasers are estimated at well over $5 billion to date.

Today, in large part, we realize that great success stories, such as the construction of lasers, are due to American ingenuity, which stems directly from the investment in basic research and in our outstanding institutions of higher learning. The laser is a prime example of basic research that ended up having multiple applications well beyond what its creators could have ever conceived.

The construction of the laser is but one example that leaves me confident in America's place at the top of the scientific world. I applaud these great scientists for their contributions to our community, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.