Tech: Frickin' lasers

Why didn't anybody ever tell me about these things?

I've always wanted a laser powerful enough to light a cigarette. Or pop a balloon. Or cause permanent eye damage.

Of course, some people want to ban these things. Well, technically, laser pointers in the U.S. are restricted to 5 mW, but as these lasers are labeled "research and experimentation" devices, they purport to skirt that restriction...

Not sure if that's the case, but I find it ridiculous that people want to ban a laser that is only powerful enough to pop a balloon (after a few seconds of exposure). Might as well ban cigarette lighters, baseball bats, and handguns. We can't let anything exist that could possibly hurt us. :P