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Journalist Gets Blasted By the Pentagon's Pain Ray — Twice

dsinc writes "Wired's Spencer Ackerman voluntarily subjected himself to what the U.S. military calls the Active Denial System, an energy weapon commonly known as the 'Pain Ray' that turns electricity into millimeter wave radio frequency and blasts targets with heat. He describes it thus: 'When the signal goes out over radio to shoot me, there’s no warning — no flash, no smell, no sound, no round. Suddenly my chest and neck feel like they’ve been exposed to a blast furnace, with a sting thrown in for good measure. I’m getting blasted with 12 joules of energy per square centimeter, in a fairly concentrated blast diameter. I last maybe two seconds of curiosity before my body takes the controls and yanks me out of the way of the beam.'" The device has been tested now on over 11,000 people, with only two serious injuries to show for it. However, the device has limitations: rainy weather decreases its effectiveness, and its "boot-up" time is 16 hours, making it useless for breaking up unexpected, impromptu mobs.

13 of 357 comments (clear)

  1. Faster than windows by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Boots faster than windows...

  2. Tube filaments. by jeffb+(2.718) · · Score: 5, Funny

    Everybody knows that you can't get that perfect warmth without tubes.

  3. Re:Wear Foil! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I wear a foil hat all the time. It seems to disable the mind reading abilities of the satellites that the United States government uses.

    That's really the only thing you need to worry about. I'm thinking of having foil implanted on the inside of my skull for a more permanent solution. I just hope the person performing the surgery isn't a reptile. He or she or it might kill me on the operating table. You know how They are. They are always plotting against us, and they have been slithering around in the highest offices for so long...

  4. Re:16 hours? by josmith42 · · Score: 2, Funny

    I read the article...

    You must be new here.

  5. Re:16 hours? by interkin3tic · · Score: 5, Funny

    Takes that long for the ritualistic sacrifices and dark prayers to Satan to be chanted.

    Not really integral to the function, the design team was just really goth.

  6. Re:Less Effective by billcopc · · Score: 4, Funny

    It is the American way (tm).

    --
    -Billco, Fnarg.com
  7. Re:future weapons ? by Hentes · · Score: 4, Funny

    The device has been tested now on over 11,000 people, with only two serious injuries to show for it.

    Doesn't sound like an effective weapon to me.

  8. Right answer, wrong question by srussia · · Score: 4, Funny

    The proper resistance mantra is:

    I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear... I will permit it to pass over me and through me.

    --
    Set your phasers on "funky"!
    1. Re:Right answer, wrong question by Nimey · · Score: 3, Funny

      No, the proper resistance mantra is R=V/I.

      --
      Hail Eris, full of mischief...

      E pluribus sanguinem
  9. Re:future weapons ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Please, do explain to us what simultaneity means in galaxies separated by 5.1 million light years.

  10. Re:And is easily defeated... by CompMD · · Score: 3, Funny

    Last time I slapped on a baklava, it took me an hour to get the honey and nuts out of my beard.

  11. Re:16 hours? by ShooterNeo · · Score: 3, Funny

    Even with all that time spent reloading the game when you die?

  12. Resistance... by Roger+W+Moore · · Score: 5, Funny

    Has to be reflective, though; if it's just resistive/dissipative, then you're wrapped in flaming fabric.

    So with these things resistance really is futile.