[DB]

"HPMs can unleash in a flash as much electrical power-2 billion watts or more-as the Hoover Dam generates in 24 hours."

Dumb statement. Energy (power over time) and just "power" are two different things. The amount of energy released by a HPM is miniscule compared to what Hoover dam generates in 24 hours. 2 billion watts for a microsecond is only 2000 watt-seconds (joules). Hoover Dam is capable of generating 2,000 Megawatts for long periods of time. 2,000 Megawatts is 2 billion watts… If the HPM pulse is around one microsecond (it could well be shorter) Hoover Dam generates this amount of energy in about a microsecond. So the writer of this article is only off about 86 billion to one (24 hours vs. 1 microsecond)…

[templar]

Dumb statement. Energy (power over time) and just "power" are two different things.

True, but there aren't any really good terms to describe pulse discharges in an understandable common language way. Take the power pottential of a handful of flashlight batteries. Not much to be iimpressed with, and most people would be more than willing to have them connected to their body (maybe not teeth though) without worry. take those same batteries, step the voltage up to about 100,000 + and charge a pulse discharge capacitor till the batteries are exhausted. Apply the same overall power of the battteries to your body in this manner and you will have a very different end result than with just the batteries hooked up directly. (an interesting demo of this is to construct the capacitor arrangement and discharge it into a hot dog, with one terminal connected to each end. But only if you are very, very familiar with working with high voltages and capacitors. Hands on experience, not book learning experience)

[Teacher317]

Thanks for the clarification... that statement didn't pass the smell test for hyperbole.