DoE: Star Trek-style "Phasers"

Palomar · 2005-07-09 06:03:23

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/terrorwar-05zk.html]To the rescue?

The Department of Energy is turning to old Star Trek phasers to protect its 103 civilian nuclear plants.
Energy weapons capable of harmlessly stunning intruders are being developed and should be in general use by 2008.

*Here's a tidbit that should help us all sleep better at night:

A recent in-depth investigation by Time magazine found that there are only 8,000 full-time guards employed to cover all the nuclear power plants in America, giving an average of only 80 per power plant, of whom not more than 60 and probably even less would be on duty on any given shift.

Cranial nerves 2 through 12 -will- be intact:

ADT emits a 95GHz non-ionizing electromagnetic beam of energy that penetrates approximately 1/64 of an inch into human skin tissue, where nerve receptors are concentrated.
Within seconds, the beam will heat the exposed skin tissue to a level where intolerable pain is experienced and natural defense mechanisms take over. This intense heating sensation stops only if the individual moves out of the beam's path or the beam is turned of, vnu.com said.
The sensation caused by the system has been described by test subjects as feeling like touching a hot frying pan or the intense radiant heat from a fire. Burn injury is prevented by limiting the beam's intensity and duration

Should they build in a delay system so some rogue security guard can't unnecessarily torment a suspect with it?

--Cindy

Echus_Chasma · 2005-07-09 18:36:17

Yeah, and what if some psychopath gets a hold of one?

Commodore · 2005-07-09 20:23:31

Can't be all that much worst than if a psychopath gets a hold of a fork.

Palomar · 2005-07-09 20:31:02

Yeah, and what if some psychopath gets a hold of one?

*Hi Echus_Chasma: Welcome back to New Mars. Nice to see you again. :up:

Commodore: Can't be all that much worst than if a psychopath gets a hold of a fork.

I dunno...think I'd rather get attacked with a fork than one of these phaser-type thingies. :-\ Seems there'd be a better chance at fighting back.

--Cindy

GCNRevenger · 2005-07-10 22:04:13

Ummmm... these people have access to fully automatic weapons and are on the INSIDE of a nuclear power station security perimeter. Don't you think that there are more important things to worry about? Like a crazy guy tries to make the reactor melt down?

Commodore · 2005-07-10 22:13:57

Commodore: Can't be all that much worst than if a psychopath gets a hold of a fork.
I dunno...think I'd rather get attacked with a fork than one of these phaser-type thingies. :-\ Seems there'd be a better chance at fighting back.
--Cindy

The weapon is non lethal. A fork isn't.

Palomar · 2005-07-11 07:02:08

Commodore: Can't be all that much worst than if a psychopath gets a hold of a fork.
I dunno...think I'd rather get attacked with a fork than one of these phaser-type thingies. :-\ Seems there'd be a better chance at fighting back.
--Cindy
The weapon is non lethal. A fork isn't.

*A person attacking with a fork has to be in close physical proximity to do so; contact or near contact. There's a chance they could be overpowered and defeated.

Someone with a "phaser" device could stand many feet away and continue firing. Consider what that alone could do to a person with a heart condition or epilepsy...

--Cindy

Grypd · 2005-07-11 16:34:49

I dunno...think I'd rather get attacked with a fork than one of these phaser-type thingies. :-\ Seems there'd be a better chance at fighting back.
--Cindy
The weapon is non lethal. A fork isn't.
*A person attacking with a fork has to be in close physical proximity to do so; contact or near contact. There's a chance they could be overpowered and defeated.
Someone with a "phaser" device could stand many feet away and continue firing. Consider what that alone could do to a person with a heart condition or epilepsy...
--Cindy

Right im entering this conversation only for one reason I have been stabbed by a very disturbed individual with a fork.

The advantage for the DOE "phaser" as it is not a killing weapon but if for example you have an invasion on your nuclear site of protestors opposed to nuclear power (something that happens a lot) then to use this weapon would be considered a reasonable method. And in these days of political stunts like invading nuclear stations a good alternative to simply shooting them with lethal ammunition is always to be desired.

There is also the possibility of suicide by proxy. This is where an individual deliberatly puts himself in the way of a situation where lethal force will be used on him. This will give him the feeling that he will not actually commit suicide and he has let it be the decision of another usually a policeman. Any means that do not usually kill and allows us to disable someone who may not be a criminal just ill should allways be looked at. We are not animals, Human life is precious and only we have the capacity for mercy and compassion.

SpaceNut · 2005-07-12 10:31:46

More on the [url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8516353/]Energy-beam weapons still missing from action
Pulses could stun, kill using light or radio wave ammunition[/url]

Such weapons are now nearing fruition. But logistical issues have delayed their battlefield debut — even as soldiers in Iraq encounter tense urban situations in which the nonlethal capabilities of directed energy could be put to the test.
The hallmark of all directed-energy weapons is that the target — whether a human or a mechanical object — has no chance to avoid the shot because it moves at the speed of light. At some frequencies, it can penetrate walls.
Since the ammunition is merely light or radio waves, directed-energy weapons are limited only by the supply of electricity.

Stun gun...

Mace · 2005-07-17 18:38:22

Ouch sounds painful. Wouldn't it be better morally just to use a high powered tranquilizer gun. Then it would be hard for these to be misused. After all, how do you torment a sleeping criminal?

Commodore · 2005-07-17 18:54:10

Ouch sounds painful. Wouldn't it be better morally just to use a high powered tranquilizer gun. Then it would be hard for these to be misused. After all, how do you torment a sleeping criminal?

Not fast enough. Someone can do a lot of damage before the stuff circulates through the blood stream.

Mace · 2005-07-17 19:44:00

Good point! Perhaps something fast acting? I know im going out on a limb here, but the blue ringed octopus has a neurotoxin that causes paralysis. If delivered in a spray of needle type darts, it would reach all part of the person and makes he/she lose motor control. Thus, while the person will still be awake, he/she will not be able to move or do any damage. then an antidote could be safely given to he/she as he/she is being captured.

Grypd · 2005-07-18 02:54:47

Too much paralysis and your heart will stop too. There are also a lot of people who have an allergy to a toxin and will immediately go into anaphylactic shock.

so that and you need more toxin for a larger person than would kill a small person and you begin to see the problem.

VTTFSH_V · 2005-09-13 23:35:51

Yeah, and what if some psychopath gets a hold of one?

Psychopathics get a hold of normal guns all of the time. Such an event wouldn't be out of the ordinary.

publiusr · 2005-09-14 12:21:01

The likelyhood of a nut even knowing directed energy weapons exist is low--let alone getting one.

Then too--there is the book.

The Poor Man's Ray Gun

You can make it with the magnetron from a microwave.

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#1 2005-07-09 06:03:23

Re: DoE: Star Trek-style "Phasers"

#2 2005-07-09 18:36:17

Re: DoE: Star Trek-style "Phasers"

#3 2005-07-09 20:23:31

Re: DoE: Star Trek-style "Phasers"

#4 2005-07-09 20:31:02

Re: DoE: Star Trek-style "Phasers"

#5 2005-07-10 22:04:13

Re: DoE: Star Trek-style "Phasers"

#6 2005-07-10 22:13:57

Re: DoE: Star Trek-style "Phasers"

#7 2005-07-11 07:02:08

Re: DoE: Star Trek-style "Phasers"

#8 2005-07-11 16:34:49

Re: DoE: Star Trek-style "Phasers"

#9 2005-07-12 10:31:46

Re: DoE: Star Trek-style "Phasers"

#10 2005-07-17 18:38:22

Re: DoE: Star Trek-style "Phasers"

#11 2005-07-17 18:54:10

Re: DoE: Star Trek-style "Phasers"

#12 2005-07-17 19:44:00

Re: DoE: Star Trek-style "Phasers"

#13 2005-07-18 02:54:47

Re: DoE: Star Trek-style "Phasers"

#14 2005-09-13 23:35:51

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#15 2005-09-14 12:21:01

Re: DoE: Star Trek-style "Phasers"

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