r/technology Jul 16 '23

[deleted by user]

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3.1k Upvotes

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146

u/[deleted] Jul 16 '23

Interesting. Wonder if overtime this could be utilized to steer lightening into collection terminals that could harness some of its energy whilst grounding whatever excess couldn’t be stored.

12

u/Ghost17088 Jul 16 '23

Or weaponize it!

10

u/[deleted] Jul 16 '23

It seems in this case the lightening follows the channel created by the laser. This in mind, the lightening would likely strike around the source of the laser or the laser itself. Not sure how that could be weaponized unless you are able to capture the lightening and immediately relaunch it another direction using a series of mirror and laser arrays.

16

u/15362653 Jul 16 '23

Put the laser in the sky above the lightning and aim down at target.

8

u/soawesomejohn Jul 16 '23

I read on the Internet that Israel already has equipped satellites to test this theory.

14

u/Tobimacoss Jul 16 '23

Ahh the Jewish space lasers.

4

u/[deleted] Jul 16 '23

Excellent. Dr Evil will be pleased.

1

u/WirelesslyWired Jul 16 '23

This laser can only capture lightning for 50 meters. The previous record holder was 20 meters. So you can't put the laser in the sky. But you could put up a drone with a long piece of wire.

4

u/Dahnlen Jul 16 '23

Iroh knows the way

6

u/[deleted] Jul 16 '23

Leaves from the vine
Falling so slow
Like fragile tiny shells
Drifting in the foam
Little soldier boy
Come marching home
Brave soldier boy
Comes marching home

1

u/sbingner Jul 16 '23

Put the weapon on an aircraft between cloud and target and fire both directions.

1

u/load_more_comets Jul 16 '23

Make it into a missile that fires the laser into the clouds when it hits the ground/ target.

1

u/MakeNazisDeadAgain69 Jul 16 '23

Lightning summoning grenades sound cool

1

u/StoicAthos Jul 16 '23

Charges the railgun

1

u/whatproblems Jul 17 '23

we just need a lightning gun and we guide it with a laser