Technology on the Battlefield: Cook Your Enemies

I wonder if it can pop popcorn too...

http://www.wired.com/news/technology/0,72134-0.html?tw=rss.index
from WinCustomize Forums

It's no real secret that war and conflict is perhaps one of the biggest driving influences on the development of new technology.  Modern computers and the Internet were inventions brought about to deal with war situations.  It seems the latest advance in wartime technology is a non-lethal weapon that basically cooks the target like a TV dinner in a microwave oven.

Declared ready for deployment in Iraq, the Air Force has developed a weapon it's calling the Active Denial System.  The ADS shoots a beam of millimeter waves, waves that are in between x-rays and microwaves found in a standard microwave oven.  The effect is a very rapid warming of the skin, causing rapidly mounting pain for the target.  Studies conducted by the Air Force show that most subjects could withstand 3 seconds on average, and none lasted more than 5 before fleeing the beam.

The ADS is meant to be a crowd-control device, to clear riots and secure zones of combat.  Current prototypes are mounted on Hummers and have a 2-meter diameter with a range of 500 yards, making it the furthest-reaching and one of the overall safest non-lethal weapons in use.

Just a few years ago, "microwave guns" were exclusively the domain of science fiction, now they're a reality and coming to a warzone near you!

14,501 views 20 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Nonlethal, ehh? I'm pretty sure such an intense beam of microwave-xray radiation has at least a few harmful side effects... after all, when you get an x-ray, you need all that lead shielding...
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
@Zoomba!   
I liked the quote: "Wouldn't it be deliciously ironic if a tinfoil hat protected you from this??"
Seriously, can you see this in police cars not too long from now?!
My kids coming home with roasted eyeballs?! I dunno...
Good controversy value on this thread.
Also, somewhat related to (skin) skinning.

Start11 - Customize the Start Menu and Taskbar in Windows 10/11.
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top

The amount and type of radiation from ADS supposedly is not enough to cause cancer or permenant harm.  The objective of the weapon is to cause people to flee from the path of the beam, to disrupt rioters etc.  Short of being tied-down and subjected to the beam, prolonged exposure is highly unlikely.

The strength of the beam means it mostly is absorbed by the skin and does not penetrate further (hence the extreme pain from heat).  As to eyeballs, they ran tests on monkeys and they found that damage to the eyeball was extremely hard to obtain since even when unconscious, subjects would blink or twitch their head away from the beam before damage could occur.  When they forced damage, the eye recovered fully within 24hrs.

Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
O.K. I won't worry so much now...
...but I want one!
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I see a large potential for abuse in this.
Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top
There is abuse potential in rocks and sticks and pepper and water and . . etc.
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
No doubt there will be abuses. But I figure the abuses with this will be less severe than with guns.
Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Have they tried using it on a cold pizza yet?
Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top
"road rage" would take on a whole new dimension.
Reply #14 from WinCustomize Forums Top
"Would you like fries with your crispy skin?"
Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top
The sequel: Uncontrollable Laughter Ray, Resulting in Terminal Silliness. *snicker* "Book 'em, Danno!" *chuckle* snort!
Reply #16 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Microwave weapons have been in work for a long time. I remember reading about a perimeter defense system in work years ago. It's interesting to see them finally being deployed. They aren't harmless, of course, but it's better than shooting people. And microwaves have no ionizing effect like x-rays so there wouldn't be any radiation based side effects. Just heat.

I do have to point out though that "between x-rays and microwaves" (from the article and the post above) includes everything from far infrared through the visible spectrum to far ultraviolet. What I think they meant to say was between microwaves and far infrared, though that's not exactly correct either. The 100Ghz/3mm band is well into the microwave part of the spectrum (which runs from about 3Ghz to 300Ghz).
Reply #17 from WinCustomize Forums Top
he 100Ghz/3mm band is well into the microwave part of the spectrum (which runs from about 3Ghz to 300Ghz).


The stuff you learn here!
Reply #18 from WinCustomize Forums Top

(which runs from about 3Ghz to 300Ghz).

Pretty safe to say even your dog won't hear it....

Reply #19 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Post #2 from SeldomSeen: "Also, somewhat related to (skin) skinning."
Priceless!
Still laughing at that one...
Reply #20 from WinCustomize Forums Top
there is a defense, tape bags of microwave popcorn all over your body,
the kernels will absorb the energy before it gets to your skin.
The downside is you will be lynched by the mob that the gun was intended to disperse and you will likely be eaten alive...

or you could cover yourself with some kind of skin tanning accelerator and look like a bahama mama within a few seconds of exposure to the microwave weapon

- also wondering how well the auto defrost feature on this weapon works....