Peacocks can shoot lasers from tail feathers, scientists discover

Scientists from Florida Polytechnic University and Youngstown State University have discovered that peacock tail feathers can emit narrow beams of laser light when infused with dye and energized by an external light source. The research revealed that the colored eyespots on the feathers contain tiny reflective structures capable of amplifying light into laser emissions at two distinct frequencies, primarily in the yellow-green spectrum. This phenomenon represents the first known example of a biolaser cavity in the animal kingdom. The feathers required multiple staining cycles with dye before laser emission was observed, and the greatest laser intensity was found in the green color regions of the eyespots. The study involved repeatedly wetting the peacock feathers with dye solutions, drying them, and then stimulating them with pulsed light to measure emissions. While the researchers confirmed the presence of laser light emission, they were unable to pinpoint the exact microstructures responsible for the lasing effect. It is suggested that protein granules or similar small internal structures, rather than the keratin-coated melanin rods, might