Laser guns = stupid idea.
man this forum is getting lame.
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Have you ever heard of laser eye surgery? In it they control the power of the laser to determine cutting speed and depth. They do the same thing with cutting machines in a manufacturing environment (cut through inches of steel plate).
Lasers are very controllable.
Lasers are very controllable.
Joined: May 2002
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As far as firing in an arc and cutting down everyone and everything, you'd have to have a continuous fire mode at high power to do that. Chances are a hand-held weapon would not be capable of such a thing. Current lasers that have virtually continuous operation and high strength are not able to be hand held and self-contained.
Who knows what the future holds but if they can get energy density high enough so that they can carry such a weapon, they'll obviously have the technology to control it and build in safe guards.
Who knows what the future holds but if they can get energy density high enough so that they can carry such a weapon, they'll obviously have the technology to control it and build in safe guards.
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From: Round Town, IL
What about this puppy? Sure its not exactly handheld, but they control it somehow...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_YAL-1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_YAL-1
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Originally Posted by JonBoy,Sep 15 2009, 02:32 PM
Have you ever heard of laser eye surgery? In it they control the power of the laser to determine cutting speed and depth. They do the same thing with cutting machines in a manufacturing environment (cut through inches of steel plate).
Lasers are very controllable.
Lasers are very controllable.
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 19,734
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True. Mild steel at 5/8" is about as thick as you want to go if you're trying to be economical. Laser has a nice finish, though, and that's worth it to some people to push past its typical boundaries (slower cutting speeds, higher output, etc, etc).
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From: Doh!!
Originally Posted by foxy_s2k,Sep 15 2009, 03:55 AM
Contrary to what we have learned from movies, a laser is not capable of firing bursts somehow decelerated to the speed of a sniper round. It simply fires, at the speed of light. It's on or it's off.
Imagine the battlefield accidents that would occur. Accidentally discharge one into the air and cut a passing passenger plane in half. Get a bit excited in a firefight and sweep through a firing arc, cutting EVERYTHING in half including your team. What if the trigger got stuck down? Could it drill to the center of the earth?
Laser guns = stupid idea.
PS. Feel free to move to the corner where I will summarily have the living piss ripped out of me.
Imagine the battlefield accidents that would occur. Accidentally discharge one into the air and cut a passing passenger plane in half. Get a bit excited in a firefight and sweep through a firing arc, cutting EVERYTHING in half including your team. What if the trigger got stuck down? Could it drill to the center of the earth?
Laser guns = stupid idea.
PS. Feel free to move to the corner where I will summarily have the living piss ripped out of me.
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From: Montclair,CA
I LOL'd at it's either on or off, there is no controlling it! You realize that its called a digital signal, we use pulse width modulation to control digital signals and make things pulse on and off at different rates. Even on your dash lights for the S2000 ;-). So yes you could make it shoot in bursts. You just wouldn't see it like you do in the movies.
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From: MAHT-O-MEDI
Originally Posted by Bobert,Sep 15 2009, 08:51 AM
What about this puppy? Sure its not exactly handheld, but they control it somehow...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_YAL-1
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boeing_YAL-1