Goldfinger's Moon Laser

Curious Cases

BBC

Science

4.8 • 4.1K Ratings

🗓️ 12 January 2018

⏱️ 24 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

"The other day I was watching the James Bond film Goldfinger. He boasts a laser powerful enough to project a spot on the Moon. Is this possible? If so, just how powerful would such a laser need to be?" This curious question was sent to curiouscases@bbc.co.uk by Eddie Griffith from Hinckley in Leicestershire.

Adam visits one of the most powerful lasers in the world, the Gemini Super Intense Laser at the aptly named Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Didcot, Oxfordshire. Plasma physicist Ceri Brenner gives him a quick zap, whilst explaining what would happen if they attempted to shoot their quadrillion watt laser at the Moon.

Hannah talks to Tom Murphy from the University of California San Diego, who fires lasers at the Moon for a living. However, unlike Goldfinger, he's not using his Moon Laser for crime, he's using it for science.

Presenters: Hannah Fry, Adam Rutherford Producer: Michelle Martin.

Transcript

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0:00.0	I'm Dr Adam Rutherford. And I'm Dr Hannah Fry. And you are going to send us your everyday
0:10.8	mysteries. And we are going to investigate them using the power of science. Science.
0:16.5	I like it. Hello, Curios. Last part of the series today. This sounds all like, oh, I'm
0:26.5	doing like a children's kind of reading sessions, isn't it? A little bit creepy.
0:30.3	Gather around. Gather around. I'm going to read to your children. I don't like it. Can
0:34.5	you do it properly, please? Hello, Curios. No, you're still doing it. That's weird as well.
0:40.6	You sound like a child catcher. Hello, Curios. This is our last episode of the current series.
0:47.8	And we want to say a huge thank you to all of you who sent in questions during this series.
0:52.8	But of course, if you have been thinking, you know what, I'm really just always wondered
0:57.3	that one thing. You can still send them in because believe it or not, we've got another
1:02.1	series coming. It's true. They've given us a series nine. So send it into Curios cases
1:08.1	at bbc.co.uk. Now in this episode, Hannah got all confused because the question is
1:14.2	inspired by a James Bond film specifically gold finger. I don't think confused is the right
1:19.2	word actually. I've never seen the film. You were definitely confused because you literally
1:24.0	had no idea what happens in gold finger. One of the most popular films of all time. It's
1:28.8	not integral to enjoying this episode. Just like to say that to anyone who like me has
1:33.1	better things to do with their time than watch slightly crappy old films. Anyway, we'll
1:39.5	discuss that later. Now, listeners, I want you to imagine a really over elaborate title
1:43.9	sequence filled with guns and oddly painted dancing women.
1:47.6	Ah, Dr. Fry, I've been expecting you. Hang on, that's not our theme, Joe. Impressive
1:58.9	sleuthing skills there, my curious friend. Today we're tackling this Bond inspired inquiry
2:03.3	sent into Curios cases at bbc.co.uk by Eddie Griffith from Burbage in Leicestershire. Here
	...

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