ELI5 Lasers - why don’t you see many white laser pointers?

Do laser beams get wider over a distance? Why are most lasers red and not white in color? What’s the difference between a powerful flashlight and a white laser? Did Albert Einstein invent the laser? ... we explain like I'm five Thank you to the r/explainlikeimfive community and in particular the following users whose questions and comments formed the basis of this discussion: titaniumdragon, skoncol17, syloh, gibson45 and e_snap To the ELI5 community that has supported us so far, thanks for all your feedback and comments. Send us an e-mail: [email protected]