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The World's Spookiest Weapons | Popular Science
by Jamie at 1:54 pm EDT, May 14, 2008 |
The Rods from God
Photo by John Macneill
This one would be the hands down winner for spookiest name if the award weren't just a consolation prize—the Rods from God will do just fine competing for the spookiest weapon, regardless of name, thank you very much. They are a kinetic energy device like the railgun, but instead of using electricity to achieve destructive velocities, they use gravity. The still-hypothetical system would be comprised of two satellites in orbit around the Earth. One would house the communications and targeting hardware, while the other would house the rods themselves, each up to a foot in diameter and twenty feet long. To fire, they would simply be released and allowed to fall back to Earth (with a bit of remote guidance). By the time they reached the surface, they'd be traveling at a speed of 36,000 feet per second and carry the destructive force of a nuclear warhead, only with none of the radioactive fallout.
Beside guitars and motorcycle - one of my favorite things is weapons. The Rods from God - a fantastic non-radioactive concept. I'd like to drop a few of these in the mountains between Afghanistan and Pakistan. |
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RE: The World's Spookiest Weapons | Popular Science
by Dagmar at 9:34 pm EDT, May 14, 2008 |
So after all this time, we've just developed an incredibly expensive way of climbing to a high place for dropping something heavy on our enemies. |
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RE: The World's Spookiest Weapons | Popular Science
by Jamie at 11:25 am EDT, May 15, 2008 |
Dagmar wrote:
So after all this time, we've just developed an incredibly expensive way of climbing to a high place for dropping something heavy on our enemies.
I know, I agree - it's pretty damn cool! The cavemen had it right - the most fun way to kill someone is to bash their head in with a heavy object. |
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The World's Spookiest Weapons | Popular Science
by k at 4:21 pm EDT, May 14, 2008 |
Known as the Airborne Laser, the craft will house a multi-megawatt chemical oxygen iodine laser capable of hitting a target many hundreds of miles away. At its core, it's the same basic technology as found in a drugstore laser pointer, only a billion times more powerful. While the craft is scheduled for its first live target test in 2009, the laser and the airplane have yet to be tested together. "Damn you, Kent! How could you build that mirror!"
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RE: The World's Spookiest Weapons | Popular Science
by Dr. Nanochick at 11:46 pm EDT, May 14, 2008 |
k wrote: Known as the Airborne Laser, the craft will house a multi-megawatt chemical oxygen iodine laser capable of hitting a target many hundreds of miles away. At its core, it's the same basic technology as found in a drugstore laser pointer, only a billion times more powerful. While the craft is scheduled for its first live target test in 2009, the laser and the airplane have yet to be tested together. "Damn you, Kent! How could you build that mirror!"
Damn you Kerry, for taking the words right out of my mouth. Literally, just before I switched the slides onto "Airborne Laser", I was thinking - where is the real genius weapon?! And there it is.... |
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RE: The World's Spookiest Weapons | Popular Science
by k at 12:54 pm EDT, May 16, 2008 |
Nanochick wrote: k wrote: Known as the Airborne Laser, the craft will house a multi-megawatt chemical oxygen iodine laser capable of hitting a target many hundreds of miles away. At its core, it's the same basic technology as found in a drugstore laser pointer, only a billion times more powerful. While the craft is scheduled for its first live target test in 2009, the laser and the airplane have yet to be tested together. "Damn you, Kent! How could you build that mirror!"
Damn you Kerry, for taking the words right out of my mouth. Literally, just before I switched the slides onto "Airborne Laser", I was thinking - where is the real genius weapon?! And there it is....
Heh. Sorry :) I've watched that movie maybe 20 or 30 times, so I could hardly help it... -k |
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Rods From God
by Acidus at 8:07 am EDT, May 15, 2008 |
They are a kinetic energy device like the railgun, but instead of using electricity to achieve destructive velocities, they use gravity. The still-hypothetical system would be comprised of two satellites in orbit around the Earth. One would house the communications and targeting hardware, while the other would house the rods themselves, each up to a foot in diameter and twenty feet long. To fire, they would simply be released and allowed to fall back to Earth (with a bit of remote guidance). By the time they reached the surface, they'd be traveling at a speed of 36,000 feet per second and carry the destructive force of a nuclear warhead, only with none of the radioactive fallout.
!!! ... !!! Dropping telephone poles on people. From Space! Damn. |
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