History and Future of Laser Technology Lasers at the extreme dominate this session. They are involved with the cooling and trapping of atoms, generating "ultra-cold" states of matter on Earth -- less than a billionth of a degree above Absolute Zero -- that allow the testing of assemblies of atoms governed by quantum mechanical principles. Fiber-optic-based data communication — laser beams transmitted through glass wires — now dominate the movement of information, transmitting much of the world's conversations and commerce at "ultra-fast" data rates. The National Ignition Facility is now fully operational and ready to conduct experiments at the extremes of pressure and temperature. The experimental campaign to create "ultra-hot" matter in a laboratory, previously occurring only deep within the center of stars, is upon us.