We have completed maintenance on DiscoverMagazine.com and action may be required on your account. Learn More

Military Weapon Uses Lasers to Produce 'Voices'

D-brief
By Lauren Sigfusson
Mar 27, 2018 1:40 AMNov 20, 2019 5:34 AM
Screen-Shot-2018-03-26-at-3.04.46-PM.png

Newsletter

Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news
 

Can you hear me now? Play the video below to see if you can hear a "voice". (Credit: YouTube/Patrick Tucker/Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Program) Are you hearing voices? Say yes and many people might question your sanity. But hearing voices is exactly what the United States military hopes will happen with a weapon it's currently developing. The Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Program (JNLWD) is building a weapon called the Laser Induced Plasma Effect. Here’s how it works according to Patrick Tucker of Defense One:

“The weapon is composed of two parts: first, a femtosecond laser, which shoots a burst of focused light for 10−15 seconds, just long enough to rip the electrons from air molecules and create a ball of plasma. (Sometimes called the fourth state of matter, plasma is a field of electrified gas, highly responsive to electromagnetic effects.) The scientists then hit that plasma field with a second nanolaser, tuned to an extremely narrow range of wavelengths. They use that to manipulate the plasma field in a way that can produce light and noise. Get the interaction precise enough and you get something that sounds like a haunted walkie-talkie.”

Turn your volume on, but not too loud or you'll give your ears a shock. Give it a listen (or two). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPU6ZL8kvhA Frankly, I had to listen to it several times because I couldn't determine what exactly should be the "voice". But once I made it through the screech-like sounds, I heard what seems like an extremely muffled human voice. It's a bit of a stretch, though. YouTube commenters are describing the sound as a broken NES, dubstep and, my personal favorite, a dial-up modem. Non-lethal weapons are designed to incapacitate targets, while minimizing fatalities, injuries and damage to the target’s surroundings. These types of weapons are used in missions ranging from peacekeeping to full-scale combat. They're especially useful in urban environments and crowd management. Within the next three years, the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Program hopes the device will produce noise, light, and even heat.

1 free article left
Want More? Get unlimited access for as low as $1.99/month

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

1 free articleSubscribe
Discover Magazine Logo
Want more?

Keep reading for as low as $1.99!

Subscribe

Already a subscriber?

Register or Log In

More From Discover
Recommendations From Our Store
Shop Now
Stay Curious
Join
Our List

Sign up for our weekly science updates.

 
Subscribe
To The Magazine

Save up to 40% off the cover price when you subscribe to Discover magazine.

Copyright © 2024 Kalmbach Media Co.