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DailyDirt: Alternatives To Projectile Weapons

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Tue, Nov 13th 2012 5:00pm — Michael Ho

Ray guns have been exclusive to science fiction for quite some time now. So far, hurling bits of metal is pretty effective, but it seems so barbaric. Even Tasers aren't wireless. Here are just a few examples of some impressive directed energy weapons that are getting close to becoming actual tools of war.

The Russians are working on electromagnetic radiation guns that can attack a target's organs or central nervous system. Such electromagnetic weapons could burn people's skin from a distance or lobotomize crowds of people with a sweeping zap. [url]
Boeing and the US Air Force have tested a high power microwave weapon that can fry electronics and disable the electrical systems of an entire building. This weapon wouldn't kill anyone directly, but it could be useful for knocking out infrastructure in a prelude to a conventional military attack. [url]
A Laser-Induced Plasma Channel (LIPC) can direct an artificial bolt of lightning at a conductive target. A laser pulse shot directed at a bad guy can zap him by creating plasma from the air that is synchronized with extremely high voltage. But what if the enemy has a lightning rod? [url]

If you'd like to read more awesome and interesting stuff, check out this unrelated (but not entirely random!) Techdirt post.

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Filed Under: emp, lightning, lipc, microwave, plasma, weapons
Companies: boeing, usaf

15 Comments

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Anonymous Coward, 13 Nov 2012 @ 5:47pm

Those are cool, but not yet practical
"The staff weapon is a weapon of terror; it's made to intimidate the enemy. The P90 is a weapon of war; it's made to kill your enemy."

Colonel O'Neill
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Nov 2012 @ 6:27pm

UN conventions...
I'm guessing that a lobotomizing ray gun runs afoul of international conventions... you can't blind people with lasers, so turnign them into brain-dead zombies seems like going a bit further. #my2cents
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JoeCool (profile), 13 Nov 2012 @ 6:28pm

Re: UN conventions...
Time to put on your tin-foil hat... LITERALLY!
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Nov 2012 @ 6:46pm

Re: Those are cool, but not yet practical
Hah! Stargate SG1 kicks ass.
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Nov 2012 @ 6:56pm

Re: UN conventions...
Since when has anybody given a shit about UN convention rules? US, Israel and Russia sure don't.
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G Thompson (profile), 13 Nov 2012 @ 7:49pm

[..]Such electromagnetic weapons could burn people's skin from a distance or lobotomize crowds of people with a sweeping zap.[emphasis added]

hmmmm.. Now I understand why the US congress is like it is.
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Rekrul, 13 Nov 2012 @ 11:06pm

Boeing and the US Air Force have tested a high power microwave weapon...
Boeing and the US Air Force have tested a high power microwave weapon that can fry electronics and disable the electrical systems of an entire building.

And when terrorists eventually get their hands on the design specs and start building them, who will the US government blame?

I don't remember where I heard it, but I once heard a quote that nobody should ever build a weapon that they wouldn't want to have used on themselves.
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Richard (profile), 14 Nov 2012 @ 3:14am

Re: UN conventions...
I'm guessing that a lobotomizing ray gun runs afoul of international conventions

I'm guessing that it has been used at a number of international conventions - principally those attended by members of the RIAA, MPAA, bob, ootb etc etc...
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Nov 2012 @ 4:35am

I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.
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weneedhelp (profile), 14 Nov 2012 @ 7:30am

LRAD
They already have no problems using LRAD in NY, which started out being used abroad.

They just love to use their war toys back here any chance they get.
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Eric (profile), 14 Nov 2012 @ 8:14am

LIPC Thought
Am I the only one who thought of Tesla Coils and Tesla Tanks from Command & Conquer Red Alert 2? Prior art anyone?
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ethorad (profile), 14 Nov 2012 @ 9:17am

non-lethal worse than lethal?
In a related note, there's an interesting article over on Slate discussing the strange position we're in whereby law enforcement can use various non-lethal weapons on their citizenry, but the Geneva conventions prohibit their use on enemy combatants as causing "superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering".

We need a Geneva convention on use of weapons on civilians!
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Nov 2012 @ 9:29am

Weapons that burn skin and lombotomize crowds with a sweeping zap.
Coming soon to a G-20 conference or Occupy Movement near you!

(Because pepper spray is so 2011).
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Nov 2012 @ 2:39pm

Re:
Because if you had a lobotomy, where would you wear your earrings?
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Anonymous Coward, 15 Nov 2012 @ 6:24am

Re: non-lethal worse than lethal?
Here come the scoopers
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