Scientists slam US plasma weapon

Professur

Professur

Well-Known Member
Scientists have reacted angrily to the revelation that the US military is funding development of a weapon intended to deliver an "excrutiating bout of pain" from over a mile away. The "Pulsed Energy Projectile" (PEP) device "fires a laser pulse that generates a burst of expanding plasma when it hits something solid", the New Scientist explains. If you happen to be that something solid, then you get temporarily incapacitated without suffering permanent injury.

That's the theory, but pain reasearchers fear that the proposed riot control weapon could be used for torture, and further doubt a solid ethical basis for the research. Andrew Rice, a consultant in pain medicine at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, said: "Even if the use of temporary severe pain can be justified as a restraining measure, which I do not believe it can, the long-term physical and psychological effects are unknown."

What those physical effects might be is the subject of a University of Central Florida in Orlando study which aims to "optimise" the effect of PEPs as noted in a 2003 US Naval Studies Board review of non-lethal weapons. The review outlined how PEPs produced "pain and temporary paralysis" in animal tests, apparently as a result of "an electromagnetic pulse produced by the expanding plasma which triggers impulses in nerve cells".

The new study was exposed by biological weapons research watchdog the Sunshine Project, which obtained papers relating to the programme under the US's Freedom of Information Act. One research contract between the Office of Naval Research and the University of Florida in Gainsville is snappily entitled: "Sensory consequences of electromagnetic pulses emitted by laser induced plasmas".

New Scientist notes that the contract was heavily censored before release, but reveals that researchers are requested to investigate "optimal pulse parameters to evoke peak nociceptor activation", ie, how to cause the maximum pain possible without killing the subject.

One scientist working on the project - Martin Richardson, a laser expert at the University of Central Florida - declined to comment to New Scientist. Another - Brian Cooper, an expert in dental pain at the University of Florida - attempted to downplay his involvement by saying: "I don't have anything interesting to convey. I was just providing some background for the group."

According to John Wood of University College London, an expert in how the brain perceives pain, both Richardson and Cooper and all those working on the PEP research project should face censure because any weapon resulting from the programme "could be used for torture".
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So can a bucket of water, ya fucking retard.

source
 
You'd rather they fire live rounds into a crowd? At least we know what the "long term effects" are.
 
Ha Ha HA HL pegged it.
Personally I think Congress should pass a law AGAINST
all U.S. military research into non-lethal weapons research!

If your gonna shoot at somebody the goal should be to destroy their ugly ass!

Now if this stuff can vaporize the enemy then go for it!
 
Winky said:
Now if this stuff can vaporize the enemy then go for it!
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You just have to increase the input power and it becomes a Romulan disruptor. :nerd:
 
Brian Cooper, an expert in dental pain at the University of Florida
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Are you having a laugh?

If the weapon makes people lose control of their bodily functions then I'm all for it.
 
Heh, I've been interested in this one for a while. The worst that can happen is skin burns and your nerves will hurt for a while but in principle it's incapacitation effect is much the same as that of a tazer which people don't seem to have so much of a problem with. :shrug:

I'm all for this one personally. I mean no permanent injuries like those nice 'non lethal' rounds can leave, no need to be within knifing distance to incap the criminal and with the long term psychological effects I know that if something hurt that much I damn well wouldn't wanna get hit with it again.

The military grade versions should be interesting......tank scale plasma weapons?
 
I'd like to order a dozen please.

New Scientist version of ther story.

"I am deeply concerned about the ethical aspects of this research,"
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Do these people sit around looking for things to be "deeply concerned" about? What is the facial expession of Deep Concern anyway? I'd imagine it's close to taking a painful shit.
 
I wonder if they'll privatize this in gun form.
It'd be cool to go deer hunting with. :D
Or maybe bring a bunch of fish to the top of the water.
 
Since it's not a "gun", it's unlikely they will allow this into private hands. You'll have to pay $50. for a dealers license first :D

Use it in the wild as you described & PETA will come hunting for you.
 
Gonz said:
Use it in the wild as you described & PETA will come hunting for you.
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Heh, but you'd have a non lethal alternative to hunt them with......it'd be like paintballing :elaugh1:
 
yeah it'd be even better than that though.
You could bag one, and hogtie it, and then if a bigger one comes along,
you could get it, and then turn the first one loose. :devious:
 
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