eli5: How exactly do lasers work?

Question

I understand that laser stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. However, I don’t understand how radiation comes into play when trying to create a light source with no divergence.

In: 4

Answer 1

There was a funny r/showerthought on here yesterday that said “A flashlight is a radiation gun with extremely low damage”, which is perfectly true.

Light is just a common name for electro-magnetic radiation.

Answer 2

There was a funny r/showerthought on here yesterday that said “A flashlight is a radiation gun with extremely low damage”, which is perfectly true.

Light is just a common name for electro-magnetic radiation.