Picosecond spectroscopy is a relatively new field of science that utilizes ultrashort laser pulses to monitor events taking place in the 10(-12) second regime. The continuing development of picosecond spectroscopy has made possible the detection and measurement of the primary events in many physical and tiological processes. This article describes a currently used picosecond spectroscopy system that is capable of reliably recording picosecond events. Two areas of picosecond research are discussed; one concerns the interaction of electrons in fluids, and the second the primary events in vision.