News - 29 Jan `15In Memoriam: Charles Townes, inventor of laser, dies at 99.

New

Charles Hard Townes, a professor emeritus of physics at the University of California, Berkeley, who shared the 1964 Nobel Prize in Physics for invention of the laser and subsequently pioneered the entirely new industry, died on Jan. 27. 

Townes was 35 in the spring of 1951 when he found the solution to a longstanding problem, how to create a pure beam of short-wavelength, high-frequency light. That revelation not much different from a religious revelation, Townes believed eventually led to the first laser, a now ubiquitous device common in science, telecommunication, entertainment and medicine, including phototherapy for vitiligo. Throughout his life, Townes maintained an interest in the intersection of science and religion.

VR Foundation had the privilege of inviting Charles Townes to the Roundtable On Vitiligo in Kitzbuhel, Austria in 2012, watch the video here . We wish his family our sincerest condolences at this time of loss, and we hold Professor Townes, one of the greatest scientists of the twentieth century, in fond and respectful memory.

Charles Townes On Vitiligo

      FAQOther Questions

      • I have vitiligo: will my children have vitiligo, too?

        Children born to parents who both have the disorder are more likely to develop vitiligo. However, most children will not get vitiligo even if one parent has it. In children with...

      • PTSD in Vitiligo?

        Living with vitiligo often involves dealing with more than just skin changes. Many people with vitiligo face discrimination, social stigma, and isolation, which can lead to lowe...

      • How can I cure vitiligo?

        There is no cure for vitiligo, but there are a number of effective treatment options that can be discussed with your GP or dermatologist. The aim of treatment is to stop new pat...