Software laser




An optical laser works by bouncing photons back and forth between two mirrors, one totally reflective and one partially reflective.

If the lasing material (usually a crystal) has the right properties, photons scattering off the atoms in the crystal will excite cascades of more photons, all in lockstep. Eventually the beam will escape through the partially reflective mirror.

One kind of sorcerer's apprentice mode involving bounce messages can produce closely analogous results, with a cascade of messages escaping to flood nearby systems.

By mid-1993 there had been at least two publicised incidents of this kind.

[Jargon File]





< Previous Terms Terms Containing software laser Next Terms >
software engineering
Software Engineering Environment
software handshaking
software interrupt
Software in the Public Interest, Inc.
 Automated Retroactive Minimal Moderation
bounce message
sorcerer's apprentice mode
 software law
software life-cycle
Software Method
Software Methodology
software metric