# Holograms

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holograms/726255>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 26, 2015, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holograms/726255 "2015-07-26T19:57:13Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Knifeswitch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Knifeswitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knifeswitch)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holograms/726255/1 "2015-07-26T19:57:13Z")

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Ok, lets give this another shot.

What’s the deal with holograms?

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**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holograms/726255/2 "2015-07-26T19:59:22Z")

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What are you asking about them?

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**Author:** ![Knifeswitch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Knifeswitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knifeswitch)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holograms/726255/3 "2015-07-26T20:02:52Z")

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> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> What are you asking about them?

How and does holography work, and why?

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**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holograms/726255/4 "2015-07-26T20:06:47Z")

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Light and shit.

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**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holograms/726255/5 "2015-07-26T20:08:13Z")

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I believe the [Holocenter](http://holocenter.org/what-is-holography) has the best explanation for how holography works.

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**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holograms/726255/6 "2015-07-26T20:29:04Z")

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Holography works because coherent light exhibits interference patterns.

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**Author:** ![Knifeswitch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Knifeswitch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knifeswitch)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holograms/726255/7 "2015-07-26T20:54:50Z")

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> [@beowulff](#):
>
> Holography works because coherent light exhibits interference patterns.

So the same principles should apply even if I’m using an XASER instead of a LASER?

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**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holograms/726255/8 "2015-07-26T21:10:44Z")

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> [@Knifeswitch](#):
>
> So the same principles should apply even if I’m using an XASER instead of a LASER?

An X-ray laser?  
Sure, but since x-rays are so much more penetrating than visible light, you aren’t going to get a lot of reflections.

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/holograms/726255/9 "2015-07-26T21:39:32Z")

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> [@Knifeswitch](#):
>
> Ok, lets give this another shot.
> 
> What’s the deal with holograms?

**Moderating**

**Knifeswitch** , now you’re going too far in the other direction from your previous thread. Try to make your question more specific. If you merely want to know how holography works in a general way, you should do a Google search or check Wikipedia. If you have more detailed questions after that, then bring them here.

Colibri  
General Questions Moderator