Here's part of a message that another list member (Jon Higa) sent me.
I'm passing it along to the list, along with a few comments of my own.

Found enough details on lasers.  This style of description was inspired by a
certain doctor...

An argon laser is like a frat house party.  The gas atoms are crowded in the
house, kegs of electrical juice ready.  They recklessly imbibe, growing
rowdy and "excited."  The new fish can't hold their own and soon begin to
boot; the senior members relieve themselves nanoseconds later as the
moonshine passes through.  The crystal, not porcelain, thrones (and portions
of the floor and walls) collect a veritable spectrum of atomic excretions.
They collimate and flush the mess out a small aperture.  Yes, that bright
stream we see is little more than atomic piss and vomit.... ;)

Imagine something like *this* being taught in the Kats' schools!
(Then again, they likely study the biological processes of how
hairballs form, so something like this might not faze them.  ;-)