You may recall the so-called “pain guns” that the U.S. military has been working on for some time. Maybe you thought that the contraptions, which would shoot out low-intensity microwaves to cause a painful skin sensation, could do you no harm, so long as there wasn’t a soldier aiming a futuristic-looking zap-gun at you.
Think again: An antenna that emits the waves and can be carried by aircraft is now in development by the Pentagon as a not-usually-deadly way to control large groups of people.
The transmitting antenna on the current system is 2 metres across, produces a single beam of similar width and is steered mechanically, making it cumbersome. At the heart of the new weapon will be a compact airborne antenna, which will be steered electronically and be capable of generating multiple beams, each of which can be aimed while on the move.
This system remains controversial, and it’s not hard to see why: Although the intensity of the microwaves that would ordinarily be used do not skin damage, an intensity slightly higher than that can cause severe burns. That happened in 2007, when a U.S. airman received second-degree burns while testing the device.
So whether skin is entirely microwave-safe remains to be seen.
Related Content:
Discoblog: Update: “Corpse-Eating Robot” Actually a Vegetarian
Discoblog: Nuke Your Tumors! Surgeons Use Microwaves to Zap Cancer
Discoblog: Using Microwaves to Zap Marine Stowaways
Image: flickr / Dmitri P.
July 23rd, 2009 at 2:14 pm
The rain of pain falls gently on the plain.
July 23rd, 2009 at 2:14 pm
*from the plane
July 23rd, 2009 at 3:50 pm
Weaponisation of space?
July 24th, 2009 at 12:06 am
[...] Pentagon’s New Plan to Rain Down Painful Beams From the Sky — 5:58pm via Google [...]
July 24th, 2009 at 11:33 am
I’m not too comfortable with this, it shouldn’t be allowed to be used in the US if ever produced.
July 28th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
Note to self: bring super-duper reflective device.
July 28th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
They laughed at the tinfoil helmut. Who’s laughing now, huh? Huh?
The Mylar Cranium Protector (MCP) will be on sale shortly, at a fine retailer near you!
August 25th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
[...] Content: Discoblog: The Softer Side of Climate Control? Discoblog: Pentagon’s New Plan to Rain Down Painful Beams From the Sky Discoblog: It’s Raining Tadpoles? Fish, Frogs Shower Japanese [...]
August 26th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
[...] Content: Discoblog: Pentagon’s New Plan to Rain Down Painful Beams From the Sky Discoblog: Expert is Bugged Out By Insects as Terror Threat Discoblog: Live from CES: Don’t Tase [...]
September 15th, 2009 at 5:45 pm
[...] Content: Discoblog: Pentagon’s New Plan to Rain Down Painful Beams From the Sky Discoblog: Update: “Corpse-Eating Robot” Actually a Vegetarian DISCOVER: 20 Things You Didn’t [...]