What are the potential harmful effects of lasers?

Answer 1

Lasers produce a strong beam of light. If you understand that light is energy then you will understand that a laser delivers energy to a point where the beam strikes.

That energy can be weak - most domestic lasers are very low energy - and is only dangerous if focused on your retina. Like looking at the sun, looking directly at a laser can burn little permanent scars on your retina. Running it over your fingers does nothing.

Commercial lasers are another story. Powerful lasers are widely used for cutting steel plates in the same way an oxy-acetylene torch does. Those lasers would cut your hand off as quickly as a butchers saw.

And military lasers are big-brothers of the commercial ones. They are designed to cut holes in orbiting satellites at ranges of thousands of miles. Powerful indeed.

Answer 2

Potential harmful effects of lasers include eye injuries such as retinal damage or blindness if the laser beam enters the eye, skin burns if the laser beam comes in direct contact with skin, and fire hazards if the laser beam is directed at flammable materials. Additionally, lasers can also cause interference with electronic devices or disrupt aircraft navigation systems if not used properly.