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What Does it Mean? The Answers Behind Those Acronyms
Friday, March 13, 2015
You may have just
gotten down LOL and SMH, but now there are some other acronyms to learn. No,
these acronyms won’t make it easier to text people from your phone, but rather,
help you learn more about certain fields of science. Ranging from physics to
detection technology to automation, many scientific terms have been shortened
over the years. Words and phrases that you may hear in a normal conversation
have a deeper meaning than you think.
· Laser
Starting off with one of the most commonly known
acronyms that many might not know is actually an acronym is laser. While credit
for this invention is argued to be credited to both Gordon Gould and Theodore
Maiman, the device has made life easier for many. Lasers are used in everyday
applications including laser printers, barcode scanners and Blu-ray players.
But what does it stand for? Light Amplification by Stimulated
Emission of Radiation. Lasers emit light, but it isn’t always visible
light; there are infrared, X-ray and ultraviolet lasers as well. Though there
is the whole spectrum of colors that are used as the lights of lasers, each
laser can only produce one color. As lasers produce light coherently, this
allows the light energy produced by the device to be focused in a tight beam. A
tight, focused beam means lasers can used, among other ways, to cut through
objects precisely and without raw edges. While this scientific breakthrough
uses light, its predecessor uses something different.
· Maser
This word you probably didn’t learn about in elementary school science class. But
the first use of this acronym can be traced back to the 1950s when various
scientists were independently developing an “optical maser.” What was once
known as the “optical maser” is what we now call the laser. But as these two
technological advancements became separate entities, they each received
different (yet similar) acronyms. While you may be able to guess its
significance, here’s the definition of maser: Microwave Amplification
by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. This device produces
electromagnetic waves coherently (instead of light). Though masers aren’t
necessarily used when you’re watching a movie at home, they are used as
references to frequencies. These devices have helped complete tasks across a
broad range scientific fields: masers are used in one form of the atomic clock;
they are used to amplify sounds from satellites that are too faint to hear; masers
are also the reason scientists were able to measure the faint radio waves
emitted by the planet Venus. Masers can be comprised of different components.
Hydrogen, ammonia, rubidium and ruby masers are a few of the many common types
of masers in use today. As this device has evolved greatly since the 1950s,
some suggest that its acronym should be changed to molecular amplification by
stimulated emission of radiation as the frequencies the maser now uses extend
beyond that of microwaves.
· Radar
Similar
to laser, this is a word that many may use without realizing it is actually an
acronym. Radar is a system that uses reflected radio waves to determine many
factors of objects. These factors include range, speed, altitude and direction.
While the most common application that comes to mind when thinking of radar is
what you see during the daily weather update, it is used in other instances as
well. Submarines use radar to detect geological formations; planes and ships
use them to detect if other vehicles are encroaching on them; airports use
radar to track air traffic; police use radar guns to detect if you’re speeding
down I-71. So what does this detection system stand for? RAdio Detection
And Ranging. Like the laser, this acronym has become so common as
a word it is not frequently capitalized.
Next time you pop in a movie to your Blu-ray player,
check the time on an atomic clock or watch the local weather update, not only
will you know what all of these devices use to operate, but you’ll be able to
impress those constantly texting teens with your acronym knowledge. Just don’t
expect these acronyms to catch on in text-speak any time soon.
Can’t get enough of scientific acronyms? Tune in for
the next installment on even more acronyms you may not have been aware of!
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