Today's Apocalypse Update (Laser Edition)

"January 26, 2007: It had to happen eventually. The American Northrop Grumman Corporation has just opened the first ray-gun factory. Officially, the plant will build high-energy, solid-state lasers and figure out how to install them in military vehicles. The first weapon being produced is the JHPSSL (Joint High-Power Solid State Laser), a 100 kW solid-state laser. The JHPSSL is to be mounted on armored vehicles and in aircraft. JHPSSL is basically an anti-aircraft and anti-missile system. It has already demonstrated that it can destroy artillery and mortar shells, as well as rockets and cruise missiles. Israel is interested in using JHPSSL as part of its rocket defense system. Ray guns have long been a staple of science fiction, and when the first lasers appeared in the 1950s, science fiction writers just assumed that many of their ray guns were "lasers." All this is not quite science fiction any more, mainly because it will take another decade or so before you have a hand held laser." [ Cool you say! Just like I grew up expecting. It's finally here! In the short run this may be good news for the West, just as Fat Man and Little Boy were "good" for the survival of the West in WWII. However, for reasons I will explain in forthcoming posts, the "handheld laser" part of this merged with the rapid evolution of computing and sensor technology could evolve into a surprisingly close level of danger (see "Today's Tinfoil Apocalypse Update: Understanding the Concept of Button") to what is already rearing its ugly head with the proliferation of WMD. Ironically, one of the best hopes we have to avoid this particular danger is for there NOT to be a breakthrough in high density portable power sources like batteries -- which would mean the slowed arrival of plug-in hybrids and pure battery powered vehicles ... and keep us in extended dependency on Islamic oil. Life is full of difficult trade-offs. -ed. ]