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5-mile laser rifle in the terrifying works
Movies about the future are slowly becoming a reality one new technology at a time. Take, for example, laser guns. A staple of sci fi movies for years, they've never quite come to fruition — until now. A California company called TRW Systems is working on a laser beam rifle that'll be able to burn things from 5 miles away. Yeah, 5 miles.
And when I say burn things, I'm not talking about pieces of paper. It could burn a fatal, quarter-inch-wide hole in a person's body without making a sound from 5 miles out. Oh— great. Somehow, these things always seemed a lot cooler in space. Now that its possible to get your guts burned out from across town I'm not sure how psyched I am about it.
Danger Room, via The Raw Feed
UPDATE: As a few readers have pointed out, the article this post is based on is dated Sept. 4, 1972. Though we'd like to believe TRW (which, according to this article, was acquired by Northrop Grumman Corp. sometime after that) will come out a laser rifle any day now, it doesn't seem likely.
By umbran at 3:11 PM ON 08/27/07
The Wired article referenced notes that the story about TRW dates from 1972, and goes on to note how the technology hasn't progressed very well since then.
Seems to me, you don't have to worry too much about holes being burned into you any time soon.
By cmysites at 10:43 PM ON 08/27/07
Wow, I knew they work on this for tanks but not a rifle. This is wild.
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By imacman at 11:22 PM ON 08/27/07
Yeah, this is pretty cool if you like weapons and such. And I do!
Talk about silent but deadly!!!!!
Some problems to be overcome are life of the power supply, changing out components in the field, making the whole unit rugged enough for prolonged field use, and a few other minor matters.
This will be the biggest advance in warfare since gun powder.
My sources tell me that a working weapon of this type will be in service within a decade.
By Tin Tin at 5:34 AM ON 12/05/08
Surely this rifle is simply designed to 'light up' a target for laser guided weaponry?.......ie; from an air strike.
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Tin Tin:
Surely this rifle is simply designed to 'light up' a target for laser guided weaponry?.......ie; from an air strike...More »