MICRON-SIZED LASERS can be made from chemicals, solvents, a hot plate and glass beakers, without the need for huge nano-fabrication facilities. Hui Cao and her colleagues at Northwestern University ( 847-467-5452) last year built a laser whose active medium consisted of a disordered powder of ZnO articles (Update 423). Now they have shrunk the size of the powder laser (see figure at www.aip.org/png) down to one micron in size and operate the device at room temperature. The lasing wavelength is 380 nm and the device operates at room temperature (Cao et al., Applied Physics Letters, 22 May /pnu/2000/; Select Article.)