Why is 2010 being called the Year of the Laser?

2010 is the 50th anniversary of the invention of the laser. Considered by most to be the second most important technical invention of the 20th century (behind the integrated circuit), government agencies (NASA, NSF, and DOE), national laboratories (Brookhaven, Lawrence-Livermore, and Los Alamos), professional science associations (American Physical Society, Optical Society of America), and major universities (MIT, Caltech, University of Chicago) are planning numerous PR events to promote interest in lasers and their applications (see www.laserfest.org). There has never been a more exciting tome to work with lasers.