Movies - TV
Why Star Trek's Laser Weapons Are Called Phasers
By WITNEY SEIBOLD
While series creator Gene Roddenberry could have easily relied on a reliable sci-fi trope of "laser" guns for Star Trek, he named it a "phaser" for different technical reasons.
First, the name comes from the use of phase modulators to control the blast yield of a particle beam. Phase modulator, a real-world tech, was spruced up to sound more fantastical.
Second, Roddenberry learned while developing the film in the mid-1960s that real-world laser technology was only a few years away from practical use.
The show was set in the 22nd Century, so Roddenberry had to update its tech. He explained, "We didn't want people saying to us three years from now, ʻ[...] lasers can't do that.'"