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(Mis)Uses of Technology

by Michael Ho

Tue, Nov 13th 2012 5:00pm




Filed Under:
emp, lightning, lipc, microwave, plasma, weapons

Companies:
boeing, usaf


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.

15 Comments | Leave a Comment

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  •  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Nov 13th, 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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  •  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Nov 13th, 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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    •  
      identicon
      JoeCool, Nov 13th, 2012 @ 6:28pm

      Re: UN conventions...

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

       

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    •  
      identicon
      Anonymous Coward, Nov 13th, 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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    •  
      icon
      Richard (profile), Nov 14th, 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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  •  
    icon
    G Thompson (profile), Nov 13th, 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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  •  
    identicon
    Rekrul, Nov 13th, 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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  •  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Nov 14th, 2012 @ 4:35am

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

     

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  •  
    icon
    weneedhelp (profile), Nov 14th, 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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  •  
    icon
    Eric (profile), Nov 14th, 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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  •  
    icon
    ethorad (profile), Nov 14th, 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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  •  
    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Nov 14th, 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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