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!