From: Rafal Smigrodzki (rafal@smigrodzki.org)
Date: Fri Aug 15 2003 - 02:26:28 MDT
Robert wrote:
> Looks like the weapons strategies for "war" are about to
> become more complex.
>
> See:
>
> Gamma-ray weapons could trigger next arms race
> David Hambling, 13 August 2003
> NewScientist.com
> http://www.newscientist.com/news/print.jsp?id=ns99994049
>
> My understanding of such technology is that it would allow
> the relatively painless termination of human lives (vs.
> nuclear weapons where the heat produced is likely to produce
> burn victims). Rafal, Aubrey or anyone else should correct
> my impressions if you believe they are incorrect.
### Well, death from radiation can indeed be relatively painless, as in the
case of nuclear reactor worker who received about 10 000 rem of radiation in
a minute or so, quickly became confused, then unconscious and died in a few
hours.
The devices described above, however, would release gamma rays in a
non-directional way, meaning all persons within a radius would be exposed,
and the dose would vary from very high in a few to merely lethal in the
rest. Merely lethal means the same general pattern of radiation sickness we
know from exposure to fallout: radiation burns, intestinal lining loss,
diarrhea, vomiting, hair loss, immunosuppression, cachexia, cancer and
leukemia. A bad death.
Interesting to imagine the suicide marksman of August 1st 2066, who in
imitation of Charles Whitman Jr., climbs a tower somewhere in the US, armed
with 700 rounds of 50kg TNT-equivalent bullets.
On the other hand, the Homeland SWAT brigade will be by then armed with the
low-orbit-to-surface hypervelocity kinetic kill weapon, which should get
him within a few minutes (picture a lance of superhot tungsten descending
from the sky to smite enemies of the state...), and the 3rd generation
airborne laser, which might vaporize him within a few seconds of target
acquisition.
This will be an interesting millennium.
If there is any research worth putting on the back-burner, production of
nuclear isomers looks like a good candidate.
Rafal
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