US military unveils heat-ray gun:

[rmnunez]

Ah, I know the weapon they've got them mounted on bipods, use a larger caliber, can even fire rockets and grenades, armor-piercing rounds. But 5 football fields is a long shot. Yes, I know they have the range, but how about the aim, what is the accuracy of a good shot with a machine gun at a radar dish mounted atop a truck darting across the battlefield? If the ray is fast and they notice the shot, can they bring the thing around to heat up the offender?

But I think we are building offensive scenarios for a weapon that appears to have more of a defensive application, it can be used to push back large numbers of people, it probably can't be pinpointed at all and produces unpleasant heat some would try to advance under, and turn back, maybe get blisters. I'd anticipate it would have a negative effect on lots of integrated circuitry in traffic lights, car, security and fire alarms, maybe the handicapped, people on crutches and wheel chairs would die of heart attacks or asfyxia, but I'd imagine the thing could be swung aound, break a swath into a surging crowd, half a mile broad with one of these beams rushing down the middle. How about you drive a couple dozen of these up to the border with DPRK? Imagine Saddam had a few of these when Iran was doing that human wave assault thing during their long war.

[ByaKya]

Quote by: rmnunez Imagine Saddam had a few of these when Iran was doing that human wave assault thing during their long war.

Um, the iranians would have destroyed it. You seem to think 500 meters is a ridiculously long distance.

As for your scenario, saddam had a better weapon against humans, chemical warfare.

At least you are getting the idea of how horribly weak this thing is to be put into a battlefield.

[Trent]

Heat energy up to 54C (130F) penetrates less than 0.5mm of skin
Manufacturers say this avoids injury, although long-term effects are not known

"What happens when people are in the first rows of a dense crowd and cannot flee?" asks Dr Steve Wright, associate director of Leeds Metropolitan University's Praxis Centre, which studies conflict resolution technology.
"How do subjects exposed from a distance know where to flee from the beam?
"People hit the pain waves and don't know which way to run."
Such a weapon also has the potential to cause panic and deadly stampedes, Dr Wright says.
He is also concerned that America is developing weapons of "tuneable lethality" whereby "you can tune in the amount of pain the weapon provides, from heating to death".

BBC NEWS | Americas | How hot is the heat-ray gun?

My big question would be: Could it possibly cause skin cancer in later life? Because if there is a possibility, then it can hardly be called a non-lethal weapon, can it?


The Moral Question


1958: British Army use CS tear gas in Cyprus
1960s: Lorry-mounted water cannon used in US
1960s: UK uses baton rounds - wood, rubber, finally plastic
1980s: Pepper spray - a bear repellent - adopted by US police forces


Whether or not the 'ray-gun' is a top-of-the-range, smart-as-they-come, breakthrough in crowd control technology or a slung together gimmick to try and confuse the enemy, who knows?

Who cares?

I mean, surely there is something more important to be considered here?
1984? Does that mean anything to you?

Suppose they try this thing out and it all goes badly wrong– say, it causes a mass panic resulting in a stampede – or it causes pregnant women to miscarry – or suddenly all the children hit by it in the Gaza strip start going blind – and lets say that as a result of that, ordinary people around the word begin to demonstrate in large numbers.

So, 'they' go ahead and make a new improved model – only this one strikes from the sky, via satellite.

So, the people riot
– and how do 'they' react? They turn the red dial right the f*ck up there and they take you out at any time.
George Orwell, Phillip K Dick, eat your dead hearts out……




(hey, I'm just kidding - right?)

[rmnunez]

Via satellite?

[Trent]

Okay, so I'm no Phillip K Dick - but I was thinking about something I read once – the idea that crop circles (some of them) could be the result of space weapons-testing (there were micro-waved creatures found in some of the circles.)

The perfect circle that turned up on John Major's lawn for instance. Was that a major lapse in security and four art students armed with a giant sized geometry set? Working silently through the night?
Or was it a sales pitch?

These are not (just) the questions of a paranoid stoner – many books have been written on the subject.
Although I'm bored with crop circles really, I remember one thing that came up time and time again – that you don't get crop circles very often in countries without established US bases.

Funny how we don't get them much anymore these days

velly interesting, no?

[ByaKya]

Quote by: Trent Okay, so I'm no Phillip K Dick - but I was thinking about something I read once – the idea that crop circles (some of them) could be the result of space weapons-testing (there were micro-waved creatures found in some of the circles.) The perfect circle that turned up on John Major's lawn for instance. Was that a major lapse in security and four art students armed with a giant sized geometry set? Working silently through the night? Or was it a sales pitch? These are not (just) the questions of a paranoid stoner – many books have been written on the subject. Although I'm bored with crop circles really, I remember one thing that came up time and time again – that you don't get crop circles very often in countries without established US bases. Funny how we don't get them much anymore these days velly interesting, no?

As weve seen recently, china was able to destroy a satelite from orbit quite easily. So i dont think well be seeing any space based weapons anytime soon.

[notworthabean]

Quote by: ByaKya As weve seen recently, china was able to destroy a satelite from orbit quite easily. So i dont think well be seeing any space based weapons anytime soon.

Because someone tests a space weapon that decreasesthe likelihood of space based weapons? Based on what logic?

[rmnunez]

The Chinese test was largely unremarked in united statian media, but elicited much commentary elsewhere. Some noted the Chinese came out right away to say they didn't want an arms race with Japan or South Korea.

Hitting a satellite you've got pinpointed in an orbit must be easier than hitting some alien spaceship testing a beam.

[notworthabean]

Quote by: rmnunez The Chinese test was largely unremarked in united statian media, but elicited much commentary elsewhere. Some noted the Chinese came out right away to say they didn't want an arms race with Japan or South Korea. Hitting a satellite you've got pinpointed in an orbit must be easier than hitting some alien spaceship testing a beam.

what is united statian?

[Autolykos]

You'll notice that Señor Núñez refuses to use the word "American", which is typically used in English to denote something pertaining to the United States. Instead, he adamantly prefers to use a direct translation of the Spanish estadounidense, literally "United Statian". Perhaps this is because he views "America" as being much more than the United States?

- Rob

[notworthabean]

Quote by: Autolykos You'll notice that Señor Núñez refuses to use the word "American", which is typically used in English to denote something pertaining to the United States. Instead, he adamantly prefers to use a direct translation of the Spanish estadounidense, literally "United Statian". Perhaps this is because he views "America" as being much more than the United States? - Rob

right, but united states is far more vague then america. there is only one country called america, there are many united states. in fact mexico offical name is United Mexican States

so united statian could just as easily refer to mexico as the US, thus america is the far more logical term for refering to the United States of America.

not to mention how akward sounding the name is

[Matt W]

*sighs* Let's not go through this again, please....just move on, and ask him to explain to you via PM.

[Praxius]

United States of America is just for clarity..... I don't see the US as being "America"

Hell, we could be called "Canada of America" but there's no need to..... America to me, means the Americas..... ie: North and South and everything inside. Whenever I hear people call the US "America" it just makes me feel like their trying to make the US as being all of America and everyone else is irrelevant.

jmo

[notworthabean]

Quote by: Matt W *sighs* Let's not go through this again, please....just move on, and ask him to explain to you via PM.

ah aight-i'll make this my last post on the subject...

Praxius-well what do you suggest we call ourselves? united statiaisns sounds very bland and not a nation, all it means is we are a combination of states. the United States of America is a very proper when you think of it. We are a group of States who, originally anyway was a union of formerly indepdnet state, who at the time were the only independant colonies in the Americas. we haven't changed our name sense, and frankly I can't think of what we woudlcall oursleves otherwise.

any replies please pm.

back on topic

It was a headline on the drudgereport , so clearly it wasn't missed in the US media

[ByaKya]

Quote by: Autolykos You'll notice that Señor Núñez refuses to use the word "American", which is typically used in English to denote something pertaining to the United States. Instead, he adamantly prefers to use a direct translation of the Spanish estadounidense, literally "United Statian". Perhaps this is because he views "America" as being much more than the United States? - Rob

Sir, dont use common sense.

[ByaKya]

Quote by: Matt W *sighs* Let's not go through this again, please....just move on, and ask him to explain to you via PM.

ROFL.
posting to tell people that "united statian" is fine to use must take up half your time on this site. i hope we dont get an influx of new members. you may very well hyperventalite from sighing so much or get vertigo from rolling your eyes too much

[notworthabean]

Quote by: ByaKya Sir, dont use common sense.

didn't the mod essentially say "drop the subject"?

p.s. its not common sense

[ByaKya]

Quote by: notworthabean didn't the mod essentially say "drop the subject"? p.s. its not common sense

let me welcome you to the forum, from your name i can tell that your posts will be mostly simply entertaining. let me clue you in on something noob
now while a mod may advise us on a certain course of action, the advice doesnt need to be followed, unless the mods post makes it clear thats what he has stated must happen. youll know it, when you see red letters in the post.
good day to you sir

[Humble Servant]

Better than bullets.

[notworthabean]

Quote by: ByaKya let me welcome you to the forum, from your name i can tell that your posts will be mostly simply entertaining. let me clue you in on something noob now while a mod may advise us on a certain course of action, the advice doesnt need to be followed, unless the mods post makes it clear thats what he has stated must happen. youll know it, when you see red letters in the post. good day to you sir

Interesting

two points

1) in past forums mods "suggestions" were more nice orders. Its nice to see these mods are a bit nicer about things

2) My name comes from a book actually, and is in reference to a very intelligent character.

p.s. based on your posts you will be very entertaining. Isn’t it nice to be able to judge others based on actual things instead of their handles?