I bet it will cause all sorts of controversy and law suits.
It interesting how you can shoot people, or blow them up with land mines, but attempt to hit them with non-lethal microwaves and you are asking for trouble. Its probably worse legal trouble if the protester / enemy combatant dies 30 years later from cancer than if you shot him in the head there and then.
Part of the problem with non-lethal weaponry is people get more trigger happy.
I've seen this weapon in action. It is microwave based, and very focused on one spot of the body. The waves reach a centimetre inside the skin, and is completely harmless.
It doesn't hurt, but you feel it very unpleasant. You just don't want to be there, so you move away.
It's purpose is not to be used in combat, but as a calm factor in riots and situations where you don't want to hurt anyone, but just want them to stop with what they're currently doing.
Originally posted by FabianFnas I've seen this weapon in action. It is microwave based, and very focused on one spot of the body. The waves reach a centimetre inside the skin, and is completely harmless.
I wouldn't bet on it being completely harmless. I bet that if it goes in sensitive areas like the eyes, ears or brain it could be harmful.
I get headaches from being too close to a microwave cooker or or even from using a cell phone for too long.
Originally posted by twhitehead I wouldn't bet on it being completely harmless. I bet that if it goes in sensitive areas like the eyes, ears or brain it could be harmful.
I get headaches from being too close to a microwave cooker or or even from using a cell phone for too long.
Originally posted by twhitehead No, I haven't seen it in action. However, seeing it in action doesn't make it safe.
If it doesn't cause pain, why is it called a 'pain ray'. Why not 'uncomfortable ray', or 'beam of annoyance'?
You ask them, not me. I wouldn't call it pain ray.
I didn't take the hit, but my friend next to me did. He survived. But he doesn't want to be hit again, I tell you.
Perhaps it looks good in head lines, how would I know?
Originally posted by FabianFnas You ask them, not me. I wouldn't call it pain ray.
I didn't take the hit, but my friend next to me did. He survived. But he doesn't want to be hit again, I tell you.
Perhaps it looks good in head lines, how would I know?
How did you happen to be in the vicinity of such a device? I know they figured out microwave ovens around the year 1948 because they saw birds being fried by the multi-megawatt radar installations like the ones that used to be in Alaska and Greenland. The birds would check in but they wouldn't check out. Instant boiler.
Originally posted by sonhouse How did you happen to be in the vicinity of such a device? I know they figured out microwave ovens around the year 1948 because they saw birds being fried by the multi-megawatt radar installations like the ones that used to be in Alaska and Greenland. The birds would check in but they wouldn't check out. Instant boiler.
It was a public demonstration. It was broadcasted in a science prgram on national television. Nothing secret about it.
The ray was well focused on the targets torso from a distant 'gun' were the 'gunman' sat. The 'victim' didn't even know from where the ray came from. The intensity wasn't high enough to cause harm, but well enough to cause desiered effect, to calm down the person in question.
I wrote earlier "The waves reach a centimetre inside the skin, and is completely harmless. " It was wrong. I googled some and found out that the penetration depth is about 1/64 of an inch, like three sheets of paper.
Originally posted by zeeblebot http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/7900117/The-Active-Denial-System-the-weapon-thats-a-hot-topic.html
...
What are the problems? Well, Dr Jürgen Altmann, an expert in non-lethal weapons from the University of Dortmund, has observed that although the Army’s test subjects were permitted 15-second intervals between exposure, this might not be the case in real life. The ADS, he says, “provides the technical possibility to produce burns of second and third degree. If incurred over more than 20 per cent of the body, these are potentially life-threatening, and require intensive care in a specialised unit. Without a technical device that reliably prevents re-triggering on the same subject, the ADS has a potential to produce permanent injury or death.”
I suspect the microwaves must be weak enough that your body's panic reflex kicks in before you actually start getting burned. Unfortunately that won't work on druggies, fanatics, mobs etc.
Originally posted by AThousandYoung The way microwaves work is that they make water boil. I bet if a microwave gun were held on a person for enough time they'd get burned.
Thats how microwave ovens work - they resonant water molecules - I wonder what wavelength this weapon uses?
pain ray
21 Jul '10 03:28
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