

Tickle Me Elmo Creator Invents Sometimes-Lethal Weapon - jamesbressi
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military/weapons/toymaker-turned-weaponmaker?src=rss

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epochwolf
Really Short Summary: A new non-letahl weapon automatically adjusts the
projectile's muzzle velocity to match the range of the target so it can safely
deliver the same impact at long and short ranges. (Current nonlethal weapons
are only effective at a very narrow range. A non-lethal gun ranged for 50m
shots will kill at 5m and ineffective much beyond 50m.) Uses methylacetylene
propadiene gas as propellent which is a commonly used in commercial products
like nail guns.

About damn time if you ask me. This will help reduce the danger of using
nonlethal weapons. Also, using a commercially-available propellent that is
already sold in convenient canisters is a definite plus.

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pavel_lishin
> This will help reduce the danger of using nonlethal weapons.

Alternatively, it'll teach people to over-rely on these things, much like some
police departments have become overly reliant on tasers, with with bad
consequences.

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epochwolf
While your comment has some merit, tasers are a completely new class of
weapon. The non-lethal rounds that this weapon fires are already a known
quantity. The same dangers apply to them that applied before except the weapon
will help prevent accidents related to misjudged range. You still need to aim
it properly to avoid breaking someone's neck or skull. The fact that even
though it's less dangerous than before it's still far more dangerous than a
taser is considered to be. This weapon will still kill or seriously injure if
used improperly.

The major difference is predicting when a taser will be lethal is difficult.
Predicting when a fist size piece of silly putty punching the snot out of
someone is much easier. Physical trauma is much better understood than
electrical.

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gojomo
Still, if this innovation makes lethality accidents 90% less likely per use,
but that newfound confidence makes usage 20X more frequent, net fatalities
could go up.

It may be good to have new options, but there's still danger during the
adjustment period.

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epochwolf
The adjustment period is definitely going to dangerous but not nearly on par
with tasers. I'm arguing this is a known, predictable issue unlike tasers
which should prevent some of the stupidity that's been happening with tasers.

Additionally this type of weapon is less effective at stopping a person at
short range than a taser is. (It's also much larger, more like a rifle than a
pistol) This is more of a type of weapon that a SWAT team would use than your
regular police officers. I hope this would reduce the chances for abuse.

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Zarkonnen
This sounds rather more sane than using microwaves to gently cook people:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Active_Denial_System>

The fundamental problem with less-than-lethal / non-lethal weapons is that if
you use them incompetently for crowd control, you end up with a lot of people
crushed and trampled to death.

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deafmetal
Baby steps towards "set phasers on stun". Good.

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jamesbressi
Hmm... I think the hidden story is this guy made the "stun-gun" to fill a need
--filling a need is one of the elements you always hear when people talk about
startups, creating your product, etc.

So, it only makes sense that the stun-gun he created was really for crowd
control from the fanatical and frenzied parents who trampled each other when
tickle-me-elmo first came out, not this spin doctor story about "looking for
new power sources for toys."

You know it makes sense ;)

On a slightly more serious note, how awesome would that introduction line
be...

Stranger: So what do you do?

Bruce Lund: Well, I invented tickle-me-elmo.

Stranger: Aw, isn't that cute.

Bruce Lund: Oh yeah, and a gun with a god-like knob to choose life or death
when it hits it's target.

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mrkurt
If you (like me) want the rocket the article mentions, it's the Estes Hydrogen
Fuel Rocket:
[http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=...](http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=estes+hydrogen+rocket&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8)

The internet tells me it sucks, though.

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joecode
The cynic in me sees these being used in crowd control---with occasional
"mistakes".

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whyenot
Yep. Since it's very unlikely the gun can always get the range right, you'll
also be able to conveniently blame any "mistakes" on your equipment.

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mikecane
Wouldn't even this weapon make a sound when used? Like the nail gun he cites?
I keep wondering about magnetically-propelled BBs.... no sound.

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wmeredith
You can get a lethal weapon with no sound in a silenced .22 firing subsonic
ammo. You have to be close or a fantastic shot for it to be lethal. (This is
basically a hitman's gun. Think shooting someone in the back of the head at
point blank range.) The only noise is the clink of the hammer going down and
the slap of the bullet hitting the target.

It's hard to get a silencer legally, though. (You can't even make one or sell
plans to make one in the US.) And the range thing is limiting.

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mikecane
Oh, not looking for lethality. I think there could be a market for a
_distracting_ weapon.

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epochwolf
Distracting weapon? Have you looked at sound or light based weapons?

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mikecane
Well, distracting in that the _pain_ makes them pause so I can run the hell
away. Sometimes that's the best course of action. Inflicting permanent injury
is always a last resort.

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gojomo
Bruise me Elmo?

