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Holograms have been making a big stir lately. From CNNs hologram coverage of the Obama/McCain 2008 Presidential election to the rumored possibilities of Michael Jackson completing posthumous tour dates in holographic form, the world of holography has been getting a lot of attention. And so, it is no surprise that the field of do-it-yourself (DIY) holograms is also moving forward, with new hologram-making kits that are more cool science gadget than mad scientist.

In the 60's and 70's, corporations spent millions on the difficult task of taming holography, purchasing sophisticated lasers and delicate vibration-isolation equipment. Later, new techniques and technologies developed that allowed home hobbyists to make their own holograms in basements or garage labs for a smaller investment of only $1000's of dollars and 100's of hours. Almost every amateur holographer at the time could tell stories of stealing large quantities of sand from a nearby beach to build a homebuilt "sand table," a critical component for dampening minute vibrations that destroy holograms.

But these earlier techniques for making holograms still required the dedication of a religious zealot and the darkroom chemical-mixing skills of a voodoo witchdoctor. With the advent of two new technologies, the laser diode and self-developing hologram film, holography has started to move beyond the dedicated hobbyist and into classrooms and homes everywhere.

The development in laser diodes has taken dramatic leaps, offering very cheap lasers with very high-quality output that is perfect for do-it-yourself holograms. At the same time, a company named Liti Holographics has recently been able to produce a very special self-developing film (think Polaroid film, but for holograms) that removes the hazardous chemicals and time-consuming processing from the making of holograms. The film is simply exposed for the proper time to laser light, and is then ready to be viewed.

These two new technology developments mean that making holograms is now both affordable and easy - well within reach of casual tinkerers, grade school techies, and science classrooms.

LitiHolo, a division of Liti Holographics, manufactures an all-inclusive hologram kit that provides an entire hologram lab in a box. The kit includes a specialized laser diode and enough film material to make up to 20 holograms. The compact rig is easy to put together, with special laser-cut parts fitting together to line up everything perfectly.

If you are a regular gadget geek, the hologram kit lets you skip straight to the quick-start instructions, or if you prefer the detailed approach you can follow the step-by-step instructions that lead you from initial set up to finished holograms. Either way, you could be viewing your first holograms in less than an hour. The whole hologram kit from LitiHolo sells for $99 (www.litiholo.com), and can be found at distributors including ThinkGeek and Scientifics Online.

While hologram science has still not caught up to science fiction movies like Star Wars or Star Trek, the technology is touching our lives more everyday. And although a hologram kit will not make your own "holodeck" in the middle of your living room, it is a valuable step toward breeding the next generation of holographic innovations and holographic scientists. Perhaps the headline in the future will read, "Hologram Kit Leads to Hologram Breakthrough.