Posted on 03/14/2009 4:01:26 PM PDT by jmcenanly
BELLEVUE, Wash. -- A quarter-century ago, American rocket scientists proposed the "Star Wars" defense system to knock Soviet missiles from the skies with laser beams. Some of the same scientists are now aiming their lasers at another airborne threat: the mosquito.
In a lab in this Seattle suburb, researchers in long white coats recently stood watching a small glass box of bugs. Every few seconds, a contraption 100 feet away shot a beam that hit the buzzing mosquitoes, one by one, with a spot of red light.
The insects survived this particular test, which used a non-lethal laser. But if these researchers have their way, the Cold War missile-defense strategy will be reborn as a WMD: Weapon of Mosquito Destruction.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Now this is technological advancement I can really get behind.
It’ll sure make the family reunions more enjoyable, and entertaining.
Thanks for posting. This is way cool!
An AK47 works pretty well also.
This sounds like more fun than even a back-porch bug zapper.
I want one - I don’t care what it costs - I want one.
I will pay extra if it keeps count.
This will revolutionise the trailer park.
That would be eeven better! Add a “kill-o-meter” to it!
lol
Also, maybe hook up a little extra power source to zap trespassers in the night.
As awesome as this sounds (and it does sound Awesome!), I would imagine a batch of DDT would cost a lot less, but that’s pretty environmentally insensitive of me—what was I thinking?
This is the beginning of the end for pesticides and weed killers. Little solar powered robots will patrol farm fields and lawns, selectively zapping pests while leaving honey bees and lady bugs alone. Lasers might be used to precise mow your lawn too.
I want one that will do june bugs. Maybe even starlings.
Next LIBERALS!!!
On a serious note - The technology required to accomplish a hit on a flying Mosquito from 100 feet is very impressive. It would seem to make the task of knocking a fairly predictable target, such as a Missile or Warplane, a fairly routine event.
Next LIBERALS!!!
What works on one blood-sucker should work on another one! LOL!
I can see it now a mosquito laser perimeter around our yards. I wonder if we can set it to zap June bugs, moths and other critters. We need to be able to set it so it will not zap lightening bugs though! I could use one for my garden.
Well you do tote a very good point there! ; )
I dream about a slightly larger one...
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