The technology that enables the reading and writing of data on optical discs is called a laser. Optical drives utilize lasers to read data encoded as pits and lands on the surface of the disc. Different types of optical discs, such as CDs, DVDs, and Blu-ray, use varying laser wavelengths for reading and writing processes. As the laser beam moves across the disc, it detects reflections from the surface to interpret the stored data, allowing users to access or store information effectively.