StunRay Incapacitates With a Flash of Light 431
Hugh Pickens writes "Scientific American reports that a newly patented method of non-lethal incapacitation can render an assailant helpless for several minutes by overloading the neural networks connected to the retina with a brief flash of high-intensity light. 'It's the inverse of blindness—the technical term is a loss of contrast sensitivity,' says Todd Eisenberg, the engineer who invented the device. The device consists of a 75-watt lamp, combined with optics that collect and focus the visible light into a targeted beam, which can be aimed like a flashlight to project a controlled beam of white light more than 10 times more intense than an aircraft landing light with a range as far away as 150 feet. Recovery time ranges from 'seconds to 20 minutes,' says Eisenberg. 'It's very analogous to walking from a very bright room into a very dark room.'"
Re:...liabilities (Score:5, Insightful)
In protest of people whining about tasers (Score:5, Insightful)
In protest about people whining about tasers, I propose we take tasers, batons and bean bags away from the police. Also since cops don't wear running shoes, and they're given guns, the guns should be used instead of chasing. So any one resisting or trying to run away, you will be shot and you will be killed.
If force needs to be used, make sure its as lethal as possible.
Re:...liabilities (Score:2, Insightful)
all the maimings and deaths by electrocution
[citation needed]
Re:...liabilities (Score:3, Insightful)
You must be knew here. Citations are only needed if you're *defending* corporations or the government.
Re:...liabilities (Score:5, Insightful)
I know, right? I mean, what kind of commie, hippie loser came up with the name "military-industrial complex" anyway?
Probably some leftist liberal trying to assert his homosexual agenda on the rest of us.
What a concept: "military-industrial complex". Sheesh!
Re:...liabilities (Score:4, Insightful)
Considering these weapons are meant to be used against us, or at least those of us who are so unpatriotic as to not be rich and powerful, I don't think the "tank drivers" have anything to worry about.
These are weapons for domestic use. Not for foreign entanglements.
Re:...liabilities (Score:5, Insightful)
Comment removed (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:In protest of people whining about tasers (Score:5, Insightful)
They're police, not samurai (Score:4, Insightful)
Shooting someone for running away or resisting arrest is the stupidest suggestion I've ever heard. Spend a little less time watching Cops and read more about abuse of power, wrongful arrest, and unarmed shootings by police because of "self-defense".
Giving any people that sort of power will guarantee a rash of "necessary force". Dead people can't argue.
Re:...liabilities (Score:4, Insightful)
Only by uninformed basement dwellers, anyone who's been even casually following "the news" for the past five years would know it's true.
That's the problem. "The news" broadcasts controversial events and propaganda and anecdotal evidence and videos of stupid hippies yelling at cops because they hate cops and unruly college students refusing to comply with peace officer demands at public speaking events and then whining when they get tazed. That's all I've ever seen on "the news". How about some actual data? How about some real statistics? Here's an irl scientific study which stated that out of the nearly 1000 cases of Taser use studied, 99.7% resulted in minor to no injury (as in, fall and scratch yourself on the concrete or similar), three hospitalizations, and two deaths which were found to not have been the result of Taser use: Taser Medical Safety: the state of the science - William P. Bozeman, MD, FACEP, FAAEM (PDF of a slideshow presentation made at University of Florida) [ufl.edu], Study: Tasers are safe to use - Physorg [physorg.com], Independent studies could answer questions about Tasers [mnsu.edu]. I can't seem to locate a published record of that particular study, but here is another paper by Dr Bozeman that compares Tasers to other methods of incapacitation: Medical Aspects of Less Lethal Weapons [ispub.com].
Your turn.
Re:...liabilities (Score:5, Insightful)
Bah.
The problem is that almost every police force in the world uses tasers *improperly*.
This is because of the lobbying, and the lies, all claiming that tasers are not dangerous. As a result, police do not assume there are risks with tasers. They use them indiscriminately, and in fact, many forces use them instead of physical restraint!
For example:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Dzieka%C5%84ski_Taser_incident [wikipedia.org]
Five RCMP officers, and a slightly agitated man... tasered TO DEATH. Hell, one of those officers, with their training, should have been able to 'take down' that man.
I've seen videos of people with traffic violations, who are perhaps a bit 'lippy' to police, being tasered. Absurd. That is the real issue. That is why the public dislikes tasers.
Tasers need to be labelled a dangerous weapon. They should only be used when an officer would normally use a gun. I'll say again, the ONLY time a taser should be used, is when an officer would use a handgun instead.
Re:...liabilities (Score:4, Insightful)
Then they ought to treat you like a responsible nonviolent citizen until they figure it out. I'd have a hell of a lot more respect for police if they did this.
This should never be justification for initiation of violence.