DailyDirt: Alternatives To Projectile Weapons

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

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. 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


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  1. identicon
    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

    link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    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

    link to this | view in thread ]

  3. icon
    JoeCool (profile), 13 Nov 2012 @ 6:28pm

    Re: UN conventions...

    Time to put on your tin-foil hat... LITERALLY!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 13 Nov 2012 @ 6:46pm

    Re: Those are cool, but not yet practical

    Hah! Stargate SG1 kicks ass.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  5. identicon
    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.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  6. icon
    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.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  7. identicon
    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.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  8. icon
    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...

    link to this | view in thread ]

  9. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 14 Nov 2012 @ 4:35am

    I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  10. icon
    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.

    link to this | view in thread ]

  11. icon
    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?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  12. icon
    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!

    link to this | view in thread ]

  13. identicon
    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).

    link to this | view in thread ]

  14. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 14 Nov 2012 @ 2:39pm

    Re:

    Because if you had a lobotomy, where would you wear your earrings?

    link to this | view in thread ]

  15. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 15 Nov 2012 @ 6:24am

    Re: non-lethal worse than lethal?

    Here come the scoopers

    link to this | view in thread ]


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