# Ladar **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 29, 2005, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladar/328398 "2005-10-29T00:32:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladar/328398/21 "2005-11-01T01:30:47Z")
\ Preview, then submit. Preview, then submit. Preview, then submit. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladar/328398/22 "2005-11-01T01:43:38Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > No offense, **Q.E.D.** , but you have provided essentially little of value to support your assertion of the derivation of the term “lidar.” The only thing you have provided is a web site from NASA which describes LIDAR as being an Acronym of similar derivation from RADAR. But the site doesn’t provide any indication of why it makes that assertion. As you point out (quite rightly), none of the sites that make an assertion as to the origin of the term give a compelling, or indeed any, reason for this assertion. You are trying to prove the point with a preponderance of evidence which is all well and good, but I didn’t bother because I didn’t feel that was sufficient for the purpose. If one wanted to show that most sites which make an assertion do, in fact, make the claim that it is an acronym, a few Google searches is more than sufficient for that purpose; something which **dtilque** is quite capable of doing himself, I’d wager. I do appreciate the effort you put in there, however. Thanks 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![ishamael69](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b9e5f3/32.png) [@ishamael69](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ishamael69)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladar/328398/23 "2005-11-01T02:55:06Z")
I am not an entomologist, but don’t you think it’s possible (I would argue probable) that the word is both an acronym and a ripoff of RADAR? As in: Inventor: _I want to create a name that will describe my new Laser Radar system._ Marketer: _How about Laser Radar?_ Inventor: _RADAR stands for RAdio Detection And Ranging, my system uses light, rather than radio._ Marketer: _Well, how about we call it LIght Detection And Ranging, LIDAR for short?_ Inventor: _Brilliant!_ ---
**Author:** ![ishamael69](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b9e5f3/32.png) [@ishamael69](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ishamael69)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladar/328398/24 "2005-11-01T02:56:39Z")
Why is everything in _ **italics** _? It wasn’t when I previewed… ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladar/328398/25 "2005-11-01T03:03:25Z")
\ Fixed italics coding. \ ---
**Author:** ![Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Carnac\_the\_Magnificent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carnac_the_Magnificent)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladar/328398/26 "2005-11-01T05:12:49Z")
MEANWHILE, AWAY FROM THE IVORY TOWERS… **Q.E.D.** , purely theoretically, could LIDAR’s range be significantly reduced through certain vehicular modifications, such as painting the vehicle’s front end with nonreflective paint, covering the headlights/license plates with a non-reflective clear film, micro-etching ( 😉 ) the windshield to minimize reflection, etc.? ---
**Author:** ![flex727](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/258eb7/32.png) [@flex727](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flex727)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2005, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladar/328398/27 "2005-11-03T03:08:57Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Most people don’t realize that lasers diverge just like other light. For short distances, such as for typical uses of laser pointers, the amount of divergence is small which gives people the wrong impression. No, laser doesn’t diverge just like other light since it is collimated. It does still diverge slightly since it isn’t perfectly collimated, but this is one of the main properties that distinguishes laser light from ordinary light (the others are monochromatic and coherent). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladar/328398.md?page=1)