Laser Cannons --> Military --> Spam

Wardad · #1 November 5th, 2003, 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:

quote:
Originally posted by Wardad:

quote:
Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
Keep in mind that a lot of modern technology was pioneered by the military as a means to kill people more effectively...

All generalizations are false.
That is not a generalization... it does not say that all tech was pioneered by the military, or that all tech that was pioneered by the military is a means to kill people more effetively...

Got your GOAT!!!

Wardad · #2 November 5th, 2003, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Phoenix-D:

quote:
Originally posted by Puke:
someone brought up mirrors, to target or deflect lasers, a page or so back.

while that works for low powered lasers, i believe these days most are directed by magnetic fields, much like the particle guns in side a television tube.

Photons don't have an electrical charge, you can't direct them with magnetic fields IIRC. The TV uses electrons, which -do- have a charge.

Right. A CRT uses an electron gun.

A laser mirror must be relective at the laser frequency. We used a CO2 laser to mark Intergated Circuit epoxy packaging (IC chips). The mirrors were (copper?) not good for personal use.

EvilGenius4ABetterTomorro · #3 November 5th, 2003, 11:51 PM

Which bring up the question "What ever happened to particle beam weapons?" Back in the late '80s the Soviets were supposed to be ahead in this field and rumors were they were going to put one on a Kirov class cruiser. I heard that these weapons were going to pack quite a wallop. Like being sand bLasted, lased and electrocuted all at once. The down side is that they were defeated by magnetic fields (deflector shields?) and were bended even more by gravity than light and were therefore even hard to target over long ranges. Jane's defence weekly says that the U.S. Navy is looking at fuel cell powered ships with less maintenance and more surplus electricity available....things that make you go "hmm"
I think fuel cells and weapons grade chemical lasers might even use the same caustic chemicals.
Hmmmmm!

TerranC · #4 November 6th, 2003, 12:14 AM

To Cyrien: You forgot SPAM.

Cyrien · #5 November 6th, 2003, 03:09 AM

Spam was created before WW2 and not by the military.

It was made popular and brought into the mass market by WW2 though.

TerranC · #6 November 6th, 2003, 06:06 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Cyrien:
Spam was created before WW2 and not by the military.

Are you sure about that? I thought SPAM along with Processed Cheddar was developped by the army during WW2.

deccan · #7 November 6th, 2003, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by geoschmo:
Re: The Teller interview in the Economist. What exactly is inherantly immoral about spending money on technology that does not currently exsist? That's what research and development is all about. At the start of the Manhattan project noone knew for sure the bomb would work. The same with the airplane, tanks, guns, any piece of weapons technology. And any civilian technology also for that matter.

The Stratregic Defense Initiative was a massive program to advance the technology needed to achieve a missle shield. Debate the morality of having a missle shield if you want, but once the decision is made to develop one, saying it's imorral to spend the money to research it is a bit odd.

Shrug. The author of that letter was implying (whether or not he is justified in that I wouldn't know) that Teller knew all along that it wouldn't work and yet advised Reagan to go for it just the same.

And presumably the American taxpayers wanted more than just advance technology in return for their tax dollars, such as say a practical and working missile defense system, preferably while it could be useful.