Lasers headed towards earth

Summary of "NASA to shoot lasers at Earth's forests from space" by Michael Franco

Franco reported that NASA has delivered a laser that will map out the forests of the world from space. The GEDI or Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation vice will send a liar (a combination of the world "light" and "radar" towards the earths surface. The GEDI will have three lasers that will be split into 14 different beams with advanced optics. The Beams will not harm the environment or damage you eyes when you look at them. The liar will map out the earth's forest in 3D; Then Scientists will be able to analyze the mapped out forest and analyze the amount of carbon in the forests. Knowing how much carbon the forests contain will help scientists understand how planting trees or deforestation can effect the enviroment (Franco, 2014).

I was amazed when I saw this article. I was interested to know why NASA wold want to do such a thing. When I learned that scientists could look at the maps and determine the amount of carbon that the forests contain, I realized how far science has really come. Soon we might be able to find the chemical make up of something just by taking its picture. I am excited to see if NASA will make the maps available to the public for viewing.

Franco, M. (2014, September 9). NASA to shoot lasers at Earth's forests from space. Retrieved September 10, 2014, from Cnet website: http://www.cnet.com/news/nasa-to-shoot-lasers-at-earths-forests-from-space/