“Let There Be Light: Laser Weapons, Jammers, and 21st Century Ethical Implications” with Zachary Epstein

In this series of events, Temple Isaiah will explore the essence and the technological applications of light, lasers, and countermeasures. Their religious and ethical implications will be illuminated, and we will attempt to use 21st century laser technology to shed a new light on traditional Jewish sources.

Zachary Epstein is a theoretical physicist with a background in laser physics and nonlinear optics, and research experience in remote detection, inertial confinement fusion, and infrared countermeasures. He completed his PhD at the University of Maryland and currently works as a senior staff scientist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. He grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and currently lives in Baltimore with his wife and their son Shlomo.

This project at Temple Isaiah is part of an international program entitled “Scientists in Synagogues,” a grassroots initiative run by Sinai and Synapses in consultation with the American Association for the Advancement of Science Dialogue on Science, Ethics and Religion, and funded by the John Templeton Foundation, along with other individual donors.