When you think of lasers, you probably think of devices used by Luke Skywalker or the Starship Enterprise.  But if some scientists at EPA have their way, you’ll soon think of lasers as weapons to fight air pollution.  This, according to the Junk Science home page, which recently reported that atmospheric scientists using NASA technology have been roving the streets of Boston, New York, and Manchester, New Hampshire firing lasers at the tailpipes of city buses –  not looking to destroy the vehicles, of course, but looking for evidence of air pollution.  The lasers produce low-powered light beams that generate results every second, and can be used to measure various pollutants including nitrogen oxide, formaldehyde, and methane, among others.  A far out idea, indeed!