How Engineers Solve “Impossible” Problems | Dan Gelbart

How do engineers solve problems that seem to violate the laws of physics?
In this episode, we speak with Dan Gelbart, a prolific inventor and precision engineer, about what it really means to work at the limits of physical law. From lasers and optical systems to ultra-precision manufacturing and semiconductor tools, Gelbart has spent decades designing systems where nanometers, noise, and nonlinearities matter, and where small misunderstandings of physics can block real progress.
We discuss the story of the first working laser, built by Theodore Maiman, and why it succeeded only after…