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Lasers

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arranf
Well you see it all the time with sci-fi dramas, on computer games etc.
Is it true, do we have lasers and to what extent..
Can they be used as weapons and if so who has them?
newolder
arranf wrote:
Well you see it all the time with sci-fi dramas, on computer games etc.
Is it true, do we have lasers and to what extent..
Can they be used as weapons and if so who has them?


Does your computer have a CD or DVD reader? If so, that's some of the extent to which lasers are used nowadays.

If i ground such a laser led to dust and mixed it in a cup of tea for you to drink, i guess that's some sort of 'weapon' but i see no reason to do such a thing. Cool
arranf
Ah well ...

My dreams of world domination shattered to dust. However I do like the tea idea...
The Conspirator
arranf wrote:
Well you see it all the time with sci-fi dramas, on computer games etc.
Is it true, do we have lasers and to what extent..
Can they be used as weapons and if so who has them?

Yes we have lasers and there are many applications for them but not weapons or most things you see in sci fi movies, books and shows.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser
Soltair
In fact, as far as I know, lasers are only a light beam. If they were made of some other kind of rays, or of very concentrated infrared rays which would cause an intense heat, I barely see how you could kill someone. Laser pointers may well anoy the ones around you, though Wink
Indi
Soltair wrote:
In fact, as far as I know, lasers are only a light beam. If they were made of some other kind of rays, or of very concentrated infrared rays which would cause an intense heat, I barely see how you could kill someone. Laser pointers may well anoy the ones around you, though Wink

Lasers are just energy - directed, focussed energy - nothing more, nothing less. If you get enough energy, a laser could kill quite easily, in a number of grotesque ways - ranging from simply cutting the person in two to heating the person's bodily fluids up to the point that they boil from the inside and explode. You don't need any special kind of laser - it doesn't have to be within the IR spectrum or any specific wavelength, although obviously there will be a wavelength that works best on skin, or body armor. The only reason we don't have laser rifles today is because anything that can generate the amount of energy required to kill would be too heavy to carry.

There are many lasers in military applications, both in current use and in development.

Most lasers in current use are used for target "painting" and range-finding. You've probably seen them in action on TV, ranging from the simple laser sighting device on sniper rifles (or even handguns) to lasers that "paint" a target so that it can be hit by a smart missile. There are also "blinding" laser weapons - weapons designed to blind enemy soldiers by searing their retinas - although those are forbidden by treaty (for who knows why).

But there are many offensive laser weapons in development, some that are actually sorta-kinda working. There have been moderately successful tests on lasers that shoot down incoming missiles. So far no laser guns to act as energy weapons, but really, all they're lacking is a small enough power supply to be portable.
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