Sweeping stun guns to target crowds

New Scientist ^ | 6/16/04 | David Hambling

[fourdeuce82d]

10 Million MEGAWATTS????

0.4 picoseconds.

[Freedom2specul8]

LOL

[My2Cents]

When in doubt, put phasers on "kill."

[jmc813]

The militia nutcase yahoos would decry the advent of this technology in the hands of the police unless the anarcho-mobs have them, too, supposedly.

I checked your 'user posts' page and noticed that you're on quite the anti-gun kick lately.

Are you familiar with what the Federalist Papers describe as 'arms' per the Second Amendment?

[sheltonmac]

We need a new body of law that protects citizens from the government.

How's this for starters? Of course, that is exactly the kind of protection the government wants to deny you.

[meadsjn]

Oh just great! -- the ultimate tool for bank robbers, muggers, etc. I wonder how long these will be out before they're used in a crime.

[ICX]

"We will be able to fire a stream of electricity like water out of a hose at one or many targets in a single sweep," claims XADS president Peter Bitar.

And God said to Peter, "Yea, and I shall give unto you an instrument of justice, which ye shall use to smite hippies and return them unto the Volkswagon Bugs from whence they crawled." And the hippies were dispersed, and there was much rejoicing. Amen.

[MarkeyD]

What are people with bad hearts doing in situations where they need crowd control?

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

"Mr. Sulu. Set phasers on stun for a wide dispersal pattern. Target the large crowd in the city square. You may fire when ready."

[txhurl]

Hailing a cab? Waiting for a bus? Rubbernecking?

[techcor]

They should call them "zot" guns.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

By wearing a chain mail - or, if you are not a reenactor, a metallized or otherwise electroconductive clothing and shoes, and moisturizing your exposed skin with saline solution for the same purpose - your clothing will become your own lightning rod and you will be similarly protected.

Sorry. No dice. If you coat your body with an electrolyte like a saline solution and put on metal bloomers and then take an electrical hit...you are toast.

The only way you are protected is if you are insulated from the chain mail and ARE NOT grounded. If the chain mail IS grounded, the electrical charge will be conducted to ground without you being in the path of the circuit.

Think of the guy sitting in the cage during a large Van de Graff generator display. He is inside a grounded cage. He is insulated from the cage and he himself is not grounded. If he touches the cage...Poof!

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

I think they're going to outlaw tinfoil next!

Good Lordy...I hope not!

[Servant of the 9]

I want one

Mount them on the corners of the house and trigger them with motion sensors.

So9

[TYVets]

"What are people with bad hearts doing in situations where they need crowd control? If you've got a pacemaker, stay out of trouble and away from riots."

The word innocent bystander comes to mind.

[NYer]

I am still waiting for flying cars!

Would you settle for an amphibious bus?

[MarkeyD]

How many innocent bystanders are there going to be when a crowd of peaceniks are facing off the police. And in competent hands, it seems like the crowd would get more than enough advance notice.