Anybody Need Any Popcorn?

[egarrard]

http://www.asd-network.com/press_detail_B.asp?ID=5770
A high-energy, solid-state laser developed by Northrop Grumman Corporation for the U.S. military has fired one of the most powerful beams yet produced by an electric laser of more than 27 kW with a run time of 350 seconds.

In a separate test, the laser demonstrated excellent beam quality at 19 kW, showing how well the beam can be focused and thus get to a target.

"The solid-state technology we've demonstrated will serve as the architectural foundation for a whole class of lasers that could be applied throughout much of the U.S. military," said Alexis Livanos, president of Northrop Grumman's Space Technology sector. Potential uses include protective and strike capabilities for ships, manned and unmanned aircraft, and ground vehicles. :thumb

[Bobenis]

Oh great...all we need is Star Wars lasers now to cause more destruction...lol. Why does military uses always get monetioned first? Always for harm, what about using it for surgeries etc? To help people?

[egarrard]

Killing their enemies does help the people. :thumb

[Bobenis]

Killing their enemies does help the people. :thumb

You need to read more of those Buddhism books man. ;)

[Maniacmous]

http://www.asd-network.com/press_detail_B.asp?ID=5770
:thumb


May I assume the thread title is a reference to the 80's classic "Real Genius"? If so...great movie, and a heck of a good throwback.

[bejohnson]

May I assume the thread title is a reference to the 80's classic "Real Genius"? If so...great movie, and a heck of a good throwback.

:Thumb :Thumb :Thumb :Thumb :Thumb

Someone you know is involved with this and other projects.

[bejohnson]

Oh great...all we need is Star Wars lasers now to cause more destruction...lol. Why does military uses always get monetioned first? Always for harm, what about using it for surgeries etc? To help people?

A 27 Kilowatt laser could not possibly be used for surgery for two reasons:

1.) A laser of that power level can only focus to about the size of a quarter therefore it could not be precise enough for surgery.

2.) A power level of even 19 KW would vaporize the human body.

[Bobenis]

Yes ok Ed. Thanks for all your vast and awe inspiring knowledge! :Yea right Duh... I realize that, I am talking about the technology itself and all the research involved should be conducted to better mankind, not destroy and control it. Nevermind, it went right over your head.

[bejohnson]

Yes ok Ed. Thanks for all your vast and awe inspiring knowledge! :Yea right Duh... I realize that, I am talking about the technology itself and all the research involved should be conducted to better mankind, not destroy and control it. Nevermind, it went right over your head.

There already are numerous uses for lasers in medicine, I can think of at least a half dozen uses for surgery off the top of my head. As a matter of fact a majority of our advances in medicine and other technologies were driven by military research.

[wazman]

:tantrum :grumble :bangcomp :banghead

[Bobenis]

:tantrum :grumble :bangcomp :banghead


Hahahha....yes I agree

[maud'ib]

Isn't it odd that the people who want to use a technology to harm others are the ones that always end up bankrolling the stuff that with a few modifications ends up helping people? I am certain the military is not thinking of the humanitarion side of this research, but after it has been developed the people who actually created that technology are modifying it for humanitarian uses. Lasers are a very good example of that.

I suppose we all know where the lion's share of the government budget goes don't we.

[Bobenis]

Isn't it odd that the people who want to use a technology to harm others are the ones that always end up bankrolling the stuff that with a few modifications ends up helping people? I am certain the military is not thinking of the humanitarion side of this research, but after it has been developed the people who actually created that technology are modifying it for humanitarian uses. Lasers are a very good example of that.

I suppose we all know where the lion's share of the government budget goes don't we.


Oh no never man! It is all for the might, right, and freedom of people everywhere! The military really do care about everyone and their individual rights and happiness, they really do! :lmao Where have you been, freedom and peace is attained via oppression and intimidation with a laser, then they will heal those people with it afterwards. LOL :Yea right

[maud'ib]

:Thumb :Thumb :Thumb :Thumb :Thumb

Someone you know is involved with this and other projects.

I doubt very much it is someone I know. The people I know wouldn't knowingly be caught dead doing military weapons research.

[wazman]

I doubt very much it is someone I know. The people I know wouldn't knowingly be caught dead doing military weapons research.

Oh boy.............................

[bejohnson]

Isn't it odd that the people who want to use a technology to harm others are the ones that always end up bankrolling the stuff that with a few modifications ends up helping people? I am certain the military is not thinking of the humanitarion side of this research, but after it has been developed the people who actually created that technology are modifying it for humanitarian uses. Lasers are a very good example of that.

I suppose we all know where the lion's share of the government budget goes don't we.

Social Security and Medicare-Medicaid

http://www.kowaldesign.com/budget/images/interest.gif

[Bobenis]

Funny...you post all these little charts but where are the "reliable sources"? Where are you getting these charts?

[bejohnson]

Funny...you post all these little charts but where are the "reliable sources"? Where are you getting these charts?

Don't you know how to follow the URL of a posted image? :shifty

http://www.kowaldesign.com/budget/

The numbers are directly from the federal budget FY 2006 which is public record.There are many web sites with the federal budget posted in various formats. All you have to do is use Google. :Wink

[wazman]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/wazman928/popcorn1.gif

[egarrard]

I doubt very much it is someone I know. The people I know wouldn't knowingly be caught dead doing military weapons research.I can't remember. Didn't you say you were into either martial arts or swords? :What the

[Bobenis]

I can't remember. Didn't you say you were into either martial arts or swords? :What the


No, you are mistaken. That would be Maro.

[maud'ib]

I can't remember. Didn't you say you were into either martial arts or swords? :What the

I do have some strong interests in martial arts, but just getting my feet wet with the swords. What does that have to do with big honkin' lasers or any one I should know in weapons research?

Are you saying that someone I know that shares these interests is doing that? Sorry, but no..

Now before you hare off and start firing out more clues, please read this:

I have not personally met anyone from this bulletin board except Rodney, Sherry, a few people who showed up at the 2005 3GM get together and one other member that posts here very rarely from Estonia. Beyond a limited aquaintance with these individuals, I can't say I know anyone here.

[egarrard]

No, you said military weapons.I doubt very much it is someone I know. The people I know wouldn't knowingly be caught dead doing military weapons research.I was just pointing out that swords are considered military weapons and were in widespread use not so long ago.

Most of the men in my church design and have designed US military weapons. My little brother designs weapons you won't hear about for 2-3 decades. It doesn't make them bad people any more than you or Maro learning to use a sword makes you bad people.

Bobenis was a little bit off on his comment about the transfer of technology to the people. Back in the 50's the Air Force developed a bunch of stuff that got transfered to NASA. They in turn used it to develop other things that got picked up by private companies who developed that into marketable products. The government only provided the raw research. It was the private companies who made the technology feasible. Government didn't really give the people anything. Private business did. Government only provides itself with stuff.

[Maniacmous]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/wazman928/popcorn1.gif


Best smiley........ever. :clapping

[egarrard]

Best smiley........ever. :clappingTrue. :clapping

[bejohnson]

Here's an article about a new warhead for an existing weapon that the Marines have begun using to defeat terrorists.

November 14, 2005 10:22 AM

http://www.defensetech.org/images/smaw-ne%20sequence.JPG

Marines Quiet About Brutal New Weapon (http://www.defensetech.org/archives/001944.html)

War is hell. But it’s worse when the Marines bring out their new urban combat weapon, the SMAW-NE (http://www.talleyds.com/products/smaw.htm). Which may be why they’re not talking about it, much.

This is a version of the standard USMC Shoulder Mounted Assault Weapon but with a new warhead. Described as NE - "Novel Explosive"- it is a thermobaric mixture which ignites the air, producing a shockwave of unparalleled destructive power, especially against buildings.

A post-action report from Iraq describes the effect of the new weapon: "One unit disintegrated a large one-storey masonry type building with one round from 100 meters. They were extremely impressed." Elsewhere it is described by one Marine as "an awesome piece of ordnance."

It proved highly effective in the battle for Fallujah. This from the Marine Corps Gazette, July edition: "SMAW gunners became expert at determining which wall to shoot to cause the roof to collapse and crush the insurgents fortified inside interior rooms."

The NE round is supposed to be capable of going through a brick wall, but in practice gunners had to fire through a window or make a hole with an anti-tank rocket. Again, from the Marine Corps Gazette:

"Due to the lack of penetrating power of the NE round, we found that our assaultmen had to first fire a dual-purpose rocket in order to create a hole in the wall or building. This blast was immediately followed by an NE round that would incinerate the target or literally level the structure."
The rational for this approach was straightforward:

"Marines could employ blast weapons prior to entering houses that had become pillboxes, not homes. The economic cost of house replacement is not comparable to American lives...all battalions adopted blast techniques appropriate to entering a bunker, assuming you did not know if the bunker was manned."
The manufacturers, Talley, make bold use of its track record, with a brochure headlined Thermobaric Urban Destruction."

The SMAW-NE has only been procured by the USMC, though there are reports that some were 'borrowed' by other units. However, there are also proposals on the table that thousands of obsolete M-72 LAWs could be retrofitted with thermobaric warheads, making then into effective urban combat tools.

But in an era of precision bombs, where collateral damage is expected to be kept to a minimum, such massively brutal weapons have become highly controversial. These days, every civilian casualty means a few more “hearts and minds” are lost. Thermobaric weapons almost invariable lead to civilian deaths. The Soviet Union was heavily criticized for using thermobaric weapons in Afghanistan because they were held to constitute "disproportionate force," and similar criticisms were made when thermobarics were used in the Chechen conflict. According to Human Rights Watch, thermobaric weapons "kill and injure in a particularly brutal manner over a wide area. In urban settings it is very difficult to limit the effect of this weapon to combatants, and the nature of FAE explosions makes it virtually impossible for civilians to take shelter from their destructive effect."

So it’s understandable that the Marines have made so little noise about the use of the SMAW-NE in Fallujah. But keeping quiet about controversial weapons is a lousy strategy, no matter how effective those arms are. In the short term, it may save some bad press. In the long term, it’s a recipe for a scandal. Military leaders should debate human right advocates and the like first, and then publicly decide "we do/do not to use X". Otherwise when the media find do find out – as they always do -- not only do you get a level of hysteria but there is also the charge of “covering up.”

I'm undecided about thermobarics myself, but I think they should let the legal people sort out all these issues and clear things up. Otherwise you get claims of “chemical weapons” and “violating the Geneva Protocol.” Which doesn't really help anyone. The warfighter is left in doubt, and it hands propaganda to the bad guys. Just look at what happened it last week’s screaming over white phosphorous rounds.

-- David Hambling

[wazman]

Best smiley........ever. :clapping

You know, I didn't even put it in this thread because of the title or anything. I just realized the connection...

[maud'ib]

You know, I didn't even put it in this thread because of the title or anything. I just realized the connection...

Consider it stolen ... Mwahahaha!

I love popcorn. ;)