Now THIS is cool

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Wed Jul 20, 2:03 PM ET

LONDON (Reuters) - Scientists are questioning the safety of a Star Wars-style riot control ray gun due to be deployed in
Iraq next year.

The Active Denial System weapon, classified as "less lethal" by the
Pentagon, fires a 95-gigahertz microwave beam at rioters to cause heating and intolerable pain in less than five seconds.

The idea is people caught in the beam will rapidly try to move out of it and therefore break up the crowd.

But New Scientist magazine reported on Wednesday that during tests carried out at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, participants playing the part of rioters were told to remove glasses and contact lenses to protect their eyes.

In another test they were also told to remove metal objects like coins from their clothing to avoid local hot spots developing on their skin.

"What happens if someone in a crowd is unable for whatever reason to move away from the beam," asked Neil Davison, coordinator of the non-lethal weapons research project at Britain's Bradford University.

"How do you ensure that the dose doesn't cross the threshold for permanent damage? Does the weapon cut out to prevent overexposure?," he added.

The magazine said a vehicle-mounted version of the weapon named Sheriff was scheduled for service in Iraq in 2006 and that U.S. Marines and police were both working on portable versions.

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Now...THAT is what I call cool.

Don't you think it will cause more casulities when the frightened crowd will try to split?

Ah.... So thats why we invaded Iraq!

It all makes sense now.

Yeah, it's not too great an idea. Beats shooting them I guess.

what a great idea!.... lets give the rioting people a reason to run amok and trash everyone in their way to get out of a Ray.

smartasses...

And theres rumour that theres a link between miicrowaves and brain damage.

where can you buy one?

I swear to God that Team Sanchez or JackAss and its spin offs will utilize it down the line.

I want one, but one that kills....
Goodbye Geese! *fries geese in back yard. eats them*

Sounds like an excellent social management device!

I saw the same thing in the newspaper, and I was quite suprised. I also wondered who the hell they tested it on.

I need one of these for my front yard. Next time those punk skater kids start shredding on my curb, WHAMMO!!!

Seems like bullets and tear gas do the trick. Why do we need an expensive lasor that might kill them and might not.. imagine the lawsuits.

Anyway, it is cool though.. i say fully weaponize it and put it in airplanes or something.

Sounds cools.

I have heard of some kind of microwave gun that makes people sick.

Also I once on a program called "Future Fighting Machines" they spoke about a laser system that could shoot down incoming shells. I like it was called TEAD. Has even one heard of this?

Imagine a weapon that can shoot down planes, shells, missiles, bombs, ICBMs, then be used to destroy tanks and people. You could build a fortress and cover it in laser weapons. That would be cool. No more hiding in underground bunkers.

Ok so more or less it doesnt work too well as a non lethal form of weapon since more ppl carry coins and many wear glasses....


....but it seems to work wonders if you wanna cause a lot of pain to someone and you really wanna kill him slowly. So yes, it should fit the purpose of the US presence in Iraq rather well ~;)

I'm wondering if I might be able to get my hands on a portable model as well. Imagine how quick you'd get through queues if you surreptitiously pointed that baby at somebody's back and fired away... They'd be physically unable to remain in queue and the next venti' latte at Starbucks would be yours, in 10 seconds flat!!!

Also would work well at sporting events. I almost pity the next New York Yankee fan I see.... nah... let the bastards suffer!

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Originally Posted by rasoforos

....but it seems to work wonders if you wanna cause a lot of pain to someone and you really wanna kill him slowly. So yes, it should fit the purpose of the US presence in Iraq rather well ~;)

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~:rolleyes:


I think this is a commendably good initiative.

Seems it would have a high likelihood of producing retinal damage, so I doubt it will get very far. Blind a few demonstrators and its history. I've heard of this weapon for a few years. I don't think it will be possible to use it except during violent riots, you know, like after your average soccer match. ~;)

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Originally Posted by Don Corleone

I need one of these for my front yard. Next time those punk skater kids start shredding on my curb, WHAMMO!!!

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you´re gonna be one of those grumpy old men nobody likes in the neighborhood....right? ~D

What do you mean gonna be? But there's still plenty of malevolent yet clever adolescant left in me too, hence my plan to use a portable version on people in front of me in Starbucks, Yankee fans and other undesirables... ~D

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Originally Posted by Martinus

Sounds cools.

I have heard of some kind of microwave gun that makes people sick.

Also I once on a program called "Future Fighting Machines" they spoke about a laser system that could shoot down incoming shells. I like it was called TEAD. Has even one heard of this?

Imagine a weapon that can shoot down planes, shells, missiles, bombs, ICBMs, then be used to destroy tanks and people. You could build a fortress and cover it in laser weapons. That would be cool. No more hiding in underground bunkers.

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Heres an idea... mirrors! ;) Id like to see what happens when I fire my reflective armour coated missile at your fortress... good luck! :)

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Heres an idea... mirrors! ;) Id like to see what happens when I fire my reflective armour coated missile at your fortress... good luck! :)

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No mirror is perfectly 100% reflective. Whatever energy isn't getting reflected is heating/burning up the target. So with very powerful lasers, mirrors could offer some protection but not immunity. Depending on the reflectiveness of the mirror, the range of frequencies it reflects, and the frequency and power of the laser, the mirror could be melted through in no time.

DA

Also note that any minor damage to "mirror armor" caused by heating would likely snowball rapidly into catastrophic damage. The imperfection would reduce reflectiveness, causing more heating energy to be absorbed, causing further imperfection, exponentially.

DA

Big problem with lasers would be little things like smoke, dust, rain, fog, snow...pretty much anything that blocks line of sight or scatters the beam.

I also wonder how you could maintain a bead on the same point on a rotating round? And would it matter if a round was a kinetic energy round instead of high explosive?

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Originally Posted by Don Corleone

What do you mean gonna be? But there's still plenty of malevolent yet clever adolescant left in me too, hence my plan to use a portable version on people in front of me in Starbucks, Yankee fans and other undesirables... ~D

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Yankees>Sox

Wouldn´t a Faraday cage or things like lead make an effective shield against microwaves?

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Originally Posted by Gelatinous Cube

Don't they already have something like this that they use to blow up mines and whatnot?

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Sort of, but that's a typo, they've actually been using it in Paris against mimes. ~:cheers:

Damn mimes. Scariest forms of clowns, and those bastards are all scary. But the mimes are the worst.

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Originally Posted by Husar

Wouldn´t a Faraday cage or things like lead make an effective shield against microwaves?

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Yes, very effective shield. Or you can make a reflector and the waves would bounce straight back on the metal vehicle and cook whoever was inside unless...

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Originally Posted by Gelatinous Cube

Using Microwave energy for this would be a baaad idea. First off, Mircowave Energy is very unpredictable. If there's anything we've learned from trying to cook frozen food in the Microwave, it's that you won't affect all Rioters the way you want to. And, truly, I pity any of the rioters wearing metal.

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Yeah, especially the rioters in the middle- no matter how many times you flip or rotate the mob the ones in the middle never get warm. ~D

Getting the rioters to stand on the rotating tray was always recognized as a problem.

"Anarchy forever!!!"

"Long live GUMBY!!!"

"Hey, what the heck, this intersection looks like a giant microwave platform?"

"Vern, isn't that the strangest news van you ever did see?"

"Ouch, this blasted intersection is turning."

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Originally Posted by Gelatinous Cube

Using Microwave energy for this would be a baaad idea. First off, Mircowave Energy is very unpredictable. If there's anything we've learned from trying to cook frozen food in the Microwave, it's that you won't affect all Rioters the way you want to. And, truly, I pity any of the rioters wearing metal.

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Not to mention the effect it might have on flammable liquids in the area...or pace makers.