[anguish]

I want one of those! Can't wait to turn cans to liquid during target practice >:)

I can see a billion military applications for this kind of gun -- if they can make it stable enough.

[dljordan]

" I can see a billion military applications for this kind of gun -- if they can make it stable enough."

Yes, we spend billions for research in this country and the first thought is "how can I use this to kill someone?". If Joe Blow came up with a cure for cancer and the government found out you could use it for a weapon it would disappear in the blink of an eye.

[COBOL2Java]

Zero to 76,000 mph in a Second

Makes me think of the rate my daughter would spend money when she was a teenager...

[joesnuffy]

Man and I thought the 'X' wife could hurl plates...76,000 MPH Whoa!

[TheRightGuy]

The ultra-tiny aluminum plates, just 850 microns thick

shore wouldn't get much dinner eatin' offa one of dem der plates

[teeman8r]

i hope that princess lea can get this information to obi wan kanobi so the rebel alliance can take this thing out before it become operational.

teeman

[Slicksadick]

amazing picture here.

http://www.sandia.gov/news-center/news-releases/2003/images/jpg/zmachine.jpg

[BBell]

It would bring new meaning to liquidating you enemy!

[Atlas Sneezed]

This could be useful for space travel. With ballast or waste as fuel, accelerating a mass stream of pellets at 1000g or 80,000 mph should provide some decent thrust.

Imagine a spacecraft with an accelerator, and a ballast load of 127 times that of the spacecraft. Shoot half the load, and the remaining craft weighs 64, and is traveling 80k mph. Shoot half of the remaining and a 32 weight craft is going 160k mph. Shoot half of the remaining and a 16 weight craft is going 240k mph. Shoot half of the remaining and an 8 weight craft is going 320k mph. Shoot half of the remaining and a 4 weight craft is going 400k mph. Shoot half of the remaining and a 2 weight craft is going 480k mph. Shoot half of the remaining weight (all the remaining ballast) and the original craft is going 560,000 mph.

Putting aside the issues of braking and all that space debris, and you can get to Jupiter in a MONTH after the ballast fuel is depleted!

[lepton]

I can see a billion military applications for this kind of gun -- if they can make it stable enough.

And once they get the range beyond 5mm.

[bvw]

I use a desktop model for opening enevelopes.

[Redcloak]

When Sen. Clinton heard about this, she called to ask how quickly it could accelerate an ashtray.

[RightWhale]

The gun is kind of big and the projectile is kind of small for military apps.

[Red Sea Swimmer]

Can these scientists apply this technology to Greyhounds ?

[Schwaeky]

Sounds like an ideal safer replacement for depleted uranium shells---which are pretty sweet themselves in what they do when busting an enemy tank (superheat the inside, suck the organic contents out a small hole as they incinerate and cause the fuel tank to explode, all in 3 seconds).

[FreePaul]

I can see a billion military applications for this kind of gun --

First you'll have to lure the enemy to less than 5mm or increase the range.