I could be completely wrong here so feel free to correct me, but are we not talking about something completely different to the lecturer's laser pointer?
Those narrow beam devices have been used to attack bus drivers etc at short range, but I would doubt they are powerful enough or can be directed accurately enough to be more than the briefest flicker in the eyline of a pilot in flight.
There is obviousle something else out there that is far more dangerous and has no obvious 'practical' application.
I remember driving home one evening, not quite dark, and suddenly one of the large reflective roadsigns ahead lit up a very unnatural and vivid green colour. Not just a dot, but the whole roadsign! A little further on the same thing happened again and I realised that someone in the car in front was firing off something through the windscreen. I suspect this is what we are worrying about here?