What's the next uber destructive weapon?

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Subject: What's the next uber destructive weapon?
HYPOCENTER 1/2/2007 9:57:06 PM

The nuclear bomb is soooooooo last millennium. What kind of new wonder weapons are on the drawing board? What will be the next uber weapon? I know this is like asking someone to try and envision the nuclear bomb in 1919...because weapon designs are limited by the limitations of human knowledge. ... no one in 1919 had any idea or could comprehend. Still, it's in interesting question... I believe the next "uber weapon" will be one of two things: A 100% electronic-based bomb. A weapon which destroys all electronics it comes into contact with. It would have almost zero "blast" effects. In other words, it can detonate next door and wouldn't hurt me.... but it would fry the outta everything electronic in my town. A bomb as powerful as a nuclear bomb, but not "nuclear" and not based on conventional explosives. Something which is able to create the destructive pressure waves given by a nuclear blast.

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Nanheyangrouchuan 1/2/2007 10:11:05 PM

Either an anti-matter device or a nanite bomb that unleashes hordes of nanomachines that tear apart every thing they are programmed to (machines, people, crops, livestock, etc) before their gears disentegrate from wear, they run out of juice or are destroyed.

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Herald1234 Been there. Doing that maybe. 1/2/2007 10:36:54 PM

The nuclear bomb is soooooooo last millennium. What kind of new wonder weapons are on the drawing board? What will be the next uber weapon? I know this is like asking someone to try and envision the nuclear bomb in 1919...because weapon designs are limited by the limitations of human knowledge. ... no one in 1919 had any idea or could comprehend. Still, it's in interesting question...

I believe the next "uber weapon" will be one of two things: A 100% electronic-based bomb. A weapon which destroys all electronics it comes into contact with. It would have almost zero "blast" effects. In other words, it can detonate next door and wouldn't hurt me.... but it would fry the outta everything electronic in my town.

A bomb as powerful as a nuclear bomb, but not "nuclear" and not based on conventional explosives. Something which is able to create the destructive pressure waves given by a nuclear blast.

You have just described an EMP bomb.

"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explosively_pumped_flux_compression_generator"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explosively_pumped_flux_compression_generator

[quoting]

Construction

The most widespread and developed design for an EPFCG is the coaxial design. This consists of a cylindrical core of high explosive surrounded by a conductive armature tube, an air gap, then a conductive winding.

In operation, the start current is supplied to the conductive winding from one end of the device, and the explosive is detonated from the same end. As the explosion propagates along the explosive core it forces the armature tube out across the air gap and into contact with the winding, forcing the magnetic flux in the air gap (induced by the start current in the winding) to be compressed against the winding, then shorting the winding out, starting from the input end of the device and progressing towards the output end as the explosion continues.

The motion of the armature tube through the intense magnetic field set up by the start current acts as an electromagnetic brake, resisting the explosion, and converting the explosive energy into electrical energy in the outer winding.

The far end of the winding is then tapped for power output. The result is a ramping current pulse, which peaks before the final disintegration of the device. Published results suggest ramp times of tens to hundreds of microseconds, with times depending on device maximum current and power.

When used as an electromagnetic pulse weapon, the EPFCG's output is fed to an antenna, possibly via some wave-shaping electronics; capacitors and inductors. A frequency converter device which turns the lower frequencies into microwave range can be placed between the EPFCG and the antenna; a vircator tube is particularly suitable. The output pulse is converted directly into an electromagnetic pulse which can damage electronics. It is not known for certain, though it is suspected, that at very short range the pulse may severely injure or even kill humans due to microwave heating effects in the body. In any case, this would require a person to be at such proximity to the device that they would stand a far greater chance of harm from the shock wave from the explosive and the high-speed shrapnel from the bomb casing.

The next weapon you describe is also available. It is a pure fusion weapon. If you want to know something about it; investigate for yourself the Z Pinch effect, and how X-ray compression in a suitable lensing casing can initiate f

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bob the brit 1/2/2007 10:40:20 PM

Nanheyangrouchuan: i don't think a nanite bomb with nano machines riping people apart left right and centre would sit well with todays conventions concerning warfare, although nanotechnology is a fast progressing technology (but i think the scientists are focusing more on fixing people rather than brutally annihilating them... could be a bit gruesome

, wouldn't want to have to clean up afterwards) i did read a book by r. ludlum called "the lazarus vendetta" about nano robots ripping people apart until a yank near single handedly stops them (ah good ol' lieutenant colonel john smith). HYPOCENTER, the "electric" bomb you speak of does kinda exist already, called a graphite bomb, basically - a charge detonates in the air spreading graphite conductive strands that when they land on exposed electrical wires, short circuit everything.

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DarthAmerica The next uber weapons will be... 1/2/2007 11:08:56 PM

...DEWs of various types. Directed Energy Weapons will fundamentally change warfare as we know it. Only the richest most technologically advanced nations will have these weapons for a long time. Anybody waring against nations armed with these weapons will be utterly defeated most likely. DEW's are like the ultimate weapons of mass precision(WMP).

DA

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HYPOCENTER 1/3/2007 3:18:07 AM

Anyone envision a DEP (Directed Energy Weapon), that sits in Earths orbit and can, with pinpoint accuracy -- kill a target?

For instance.... we're tracking a group of men in a city..... we want to kill one of them. Imagine a laser beam instantly striking him for no longer than a second and is able to burn a hole through his chest -- killing him instantly. Something like that would be like having the power of God.

What kind of effect would lasers/DEP have on the ozone? I imagine there'd be some difficulty there... and I wonder if they would burn holes into the ozone?

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Herald1234 Not so fast........... 1/3/2007 6:38:03 AM

Anyone envision a DEP (Directed Energy Weapon), that sits in Earths orbit and can, with pinpoint accuracy -- kill a target?
I could write the specificationn right now. Trouble is we don't have the technology yet to build one and won't for at least twenty years.
For instance.... we're tracking a group of men in a city..... we want to kill one of them. Imagine a laser beam instantly striking him for no longer than a second and is able to burn a hole through his chest -- killing him instantly. Something like that would be like having the power of God.
You won't have that kind of precision, ever. As for being godlike? No thank you. Being a reasonably moral human being is hard enough.
What kind of effect would lasers/DEP have on the ozone? I imagine there'd be some difficulty there... and I wonder if they would burn holes into the ozone?

Temporary reinforcement of the layer actually.

Herald

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DarthAmerica Herald reply... 1/3/2007 11:22:20 AM

Temporary reinforcement of the layer actually.

Herald

20 years? My best guess is more like 5 to 10 years and that assumes we don't have something in the black world that could already do it. I don't mean targeting a specific person. But to send a beam up then relay it back down to a specific point on Earth. Thats already been done.

DA

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DarthAmerica Herald reply... 1/3/2007 11:39:52 AM

Herald,

I want to add one thing to my reply to you. While I feel that we COULD DO a laser weapon similar to the one described within 5 to 10 years. Whether we WOULD DO it due to funding priorities and perceived need is not on the same time line.

DA

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Herald1234 1/3/2007 11:39:56 AM

Temporary reinforcement of the layer actually.

Herald

Done to the moon and back, DA, a long time ago. But nobody has weaponized it yet for good reasons. That we covered elsewhere.

Herald

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HYPOCENTER 1/3/2007 3:33:25 PM

No one has mentioned the most diabolical weapon of all: SHARKS WITH LASER BEAMS ON THEIR HEADS. (hhaha, someone had to say it).

On a more serious note.... someone mentioned a "gravitational" bomb? That sounds interesting.

Say, how long do you think it will be before we weaponize space and the moon? My guess is we weaponise space within this century (if it isn't already).

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