Mad Science - Death Rays 101

[Feinan]

You know you're a mad scientist when...you're fiddling around with ideas for a stun gun for your robot dog, and you realize you've come up with an
idea for a beam weapon....

*chuckles wryly* I was trying to figure out how to do a stun gun so I could build a version of K-9 for Fenspace. I thought it might be possible to do a taser
sort of setup, but how to conduct the charge to the target? Then I got to thinking - a forcefield could probably be set up to conduct a charge. So set up a
field/holoemitter to do a beam (which gives you your nice ray effect) and have that conduct a taser charge to the target.

Fairly simple, so doing a version of K-9 was a go. Then I realized...if you do a small version, what's to stop a much larger version? It's not like you
need any major setup for it - just need a capacitor to store LARGE amounts of electricity, a very strong holoemitter to do your conductor beam...and ZAP.

So - who likes Lightning Cannons? I'm not quite sure what effects it would have against spaceships, but unless they're specially shielded against
electricity, I imagine it could fry systems, at the very least....possibly a lot more. It seems like something Tesla and I might've come up with.

[robkelk]

So - who likes Lightning Cannons?

I'd bet Agatha would love a hand-held version... at least, if she doesn't mind http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20071126]stealing one of Gil's toys.
--
Rob Kelk
"Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose
them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of
the same sovereign, servants of the same law."

- Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012

[Black Aeronaut]

Ben would love to have a heavy version. That arm of his can handle it. ^_^

[Bob Schroeck]

I could imagine that someone in the Supers faction might want to 'wave up a prosthetic arm with one of these built into it, were he in need of a prosthetic
arm...
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

[itsune9tl]

How about a Handwaved Van DeGraph Generator. A Friend and I worked out a a Design That uses a Modified Maglight Casing (we used the 6 D- Cell version.) We used
4 d-cells to provide power to the electric motor in the handle, and replaced the Lamp head with a 6" (15cm) diameter brass sphere. It generated enough
static to make His hair stand on end, and would arc jump from about 1/2 to 3/4 of and inch.

It wouldn't be to hard to extend the design to a length of 6 or so. You would have a metal staff with a large knob on the end.

[Feinan]

It wouldn't be to hard to extend the design to a length of 6 or so. You would have a metal staff with a large knob on the end.

*Forgive me. I just can't let that pass....*

The Jason grins, and breaks into song, "A wizard's staff has a knob on the end..."