Can EMP(Electro Magnetic Pulse) be an effective weapon in the future or is it impractical?
543779
All military electronics are hardened against EMP. It would knock out civilian electronics by inducing a high amplitude current spike into the circuitry. (I used to work on military aircraft electronics)\n\nBasically, in a nuclear war scenario, the first detonation would be a high altitude blast, which would wipe out most electronics - communications being the main target.\n\nNot sure if there is any other method of doing it, like the Bond flick 'Goldeneye'.
227733
There is already a device that can collect electrical discharges, made earlier in the turn of the century, they are called leyden jars, Modern day terminology call these devices Capacitors or battery. The innovation from the leyden jars to the rechargeable battery took centuries to develop. The reason why they do not build massive structures for the purpose you described is because simply that lightning is an uncontrollable energy source. its random unexpected occurrence, its unstable and erratic voltage potentials makes it very dangerous and an inefficient source of stable energy. Perhaps why electromagnetic generators are built and are still being used as of today to supply a more controllable source of electrical energy. Its flexibility of use with hydro-electrical plants, wind farms, and fossil fuel plant, make the electrostatic generators more advantageous to deal with than lightning alone in producing electricity.\n\nOther alternative energy to consider are nuclear, solar, hydrgen fuel cells, and geo-thermal energy.\n~meow
546511
Any nuclear bomb will create an electromagnetic pulse.  The size of the pulse radius will be approximately related to the blast radius.
501495
Of course it is.  It is done all the time at Iofe Institute in St. Petersburg Russia, where they have continued research into this in the field of lasers and semi conductors (as a parallel pursuit).  Also with burst technology.  Also, the Japanese physicist Hidetsugu Yagi did a lot of work in the field. \n\nHowever, I am not sure whether you are talking about energy that can then be used by a consumer or high energy antanae, which is already a reality.
159394
Less than  .005 of a second with a LAZER  and .025 of a second with radar in burst mode!\n\nIt actually takes the Officer longer to aim the gun than to measure the speed.  He will pull the trigger prematurely before actually having the vehicle in the "crosshairs".  That is the small hand held type gun which is usually out of sight.  \n\nOn patrol officers frequently still leave the transmitters on constantly beaming down the road measuring the speed of every vehicle.  The antenna for this radar appears to be a spotlight hooked to the rear door glass.\n\nMany towns and some cities have started mounting the guns on the rear-view mirrors.  But believe it or not some Officers are actually health conscious also and do not like the idea of being bombarded by radar radiation constantly.  Thus the outside antenna.  The LAZER present minimal health problems, except to possible eye exposure.  \n\nAll are extremely accurate and quick but only as good as the person holding it.  THE OFFICER !  \n\nMost all Police are fine people, real easy to talk to, reasonable, just trying to keep us from killing ourselves.  BUT THERE ARE BUT A FEW WHO ARE WELL ... JERKS !!\n\nJUST SIGN ME,\n\nONE WHO IS NOT A JERK
437979
I really dont think so, i mean if you are talking about em waves given off by electrical equipment of this kind then no.  The only concern with such equipment is that all the connections are properly in place and there is no lose wiring sticking out of it so that it is earthed properly and completely safe.
738961
Sorry, you're going to have to be a bit more specific than that. Electromagnetics is a rather broad subject.\n\n~X~
93660
EMF can mean electromagnetic field or electromotive force. I assume you mean the former. \n\nThere are lots of uses and potential uses for microwave radar waves:\n\n1. heating food\n2. radar guns for police\n3. communications\n4. disabling electronics\n5. radar systems for planes, weather, etc\n6. crash avoidance systems for cars and trucks\n7. traffic monitoring\n8. astronomy\n9. surface mapping by satellites\n\nand so on.
794246
Absolutely.  In fact, there have been several different approaches, including zapping little pellets with a monster laser (NOVA), which are then immersed in water.  These minuscule nuclear bombs fuse and release their energy into the water, creating steam and turning turbines.\n\nThe most promising method, however, is a fusion reactor; a magnetic bottle which traps plasma.  Fusion occurs when the electromagnetic forces of nuclei (which are positive) are overcome.  In order to get nuclei, atoms are injected into the reactor and brought to immense temperatures.  The individual atoms, which are neutral, become so energetic that the electrons are stripped from the nuclei, creating plasma.  Plasma is simply free electrons (negatively charged and unbounded to a nucleus) and the positively charged nuclei.  Because these are positively and negatively charged, the plasma is contained within magnetic field lines.  This is the proverbial "magnetic bottle".\n\nThe nuclei smash into each other, creating helium nuclei and excess neutrons.  These neutrons are EXTREMELY energetic (14 MeV), and are neutrally charged.  Therefore, these neutrons zip right past the magnetic field lines.  The charged plasma remains, continuing the fusion process; and the neutrons are captured in water, where elastic collisions with H2O molecules transfers the energy from the neutrons to the water, heating the water, turning it to steam, and turning the turbines.\n\nThere are a couple of major problems.  First, the sun is very big and very hot.  Getting similar temperatures and pressures on Earth is next to impossible.  Although the energy released is several orders of magnitude greater than the energy put in when the process is going a full capacity, getting it started has been very difficult.  However, through TFTR and the new ITER, already the plasmas have generated more energy than were used to start the process.  This is a big step.\n\nAlso, the magnetic bottle and the plasma can experience some strange instabilities and wave functions.  Any time a harmonic resonance-like phenomena occurs, the fusion can break down, the plasma cools, and the process slows or stops.  As the test reactors continue to gather data, these phenomena are better understood.\n\nFinally, those 14 MeV neutron zip through the magnetic bottle and the water, and interact with impurities in the concrete and building materials, creating radioactive waste.  This waste is not insignificant - huge amounts of concrete becomes low-level waste.  Low level waste is NOT a measure of how dangerous it is - this stuff can be very dangerous - but it will only remain dangerous for about 100 years or so.  It's not the stuff that remains deadly for thousands of years.\n\nSo solve the instabilities, be able to sustain a plasma and reaction long enough to become self-sustaining, and be prepared for the low level waste, and fusion will become an almost unlimited energy supply.
643314
the particles are accelerated by electromagnetic fields, but since it only gives giga electron volts, which is much less than a joule, it wouldnt rreally move you. it proprably would however, electrocute you and cook you with gamma rays and such
437815
The previous post is pure bunk.\n\nMillions of dollars have been spent and thousands of people have been tracked and interviewed over decades in an attempt to scientifically prove or disprove a link between ill health and electromagnetic fields. And guess what? They can't find one. There is no known biological mechanism for the low-level radiation from power lines to damage DNA. \n\nPeople used to worry about the same things resulting from the use of microwave ovens, but I guess that scare has passed. The low level radiation from power lines is even less than that emitted by microwaves. Radiation from cell phones isn't a health issue, either.\n\nHere's a relevant passage from Christopher Wanjek's "Bad Medicine: Misconceptions and Misuses Revealed, from Distance Healing to Vitamin O":\n\n"Many folks seem to equate all kinds of radiation with the dangerous kind, called ionizing radiation. This type of radiation is energetic enough to knock an electron loose from an atom. Many types of radiation pass through our bodies all the time. Although you cannot shine a flashlight (visible light) through your chest, radio waves and microwaves will pass through easily enough. Ionizing radiation also passes through you, but it can damage the atoms in your cells as it travels, knocking loose an electron from a DNA molecule. Ultraviolet light is ionizing radiation; too much of it causes skin cancer. X rays and gamma rays are also ionizing. Too many X-ray exams can lead to organ cancers. Fortunately, the nastiest forms of ionizing radiation are produced in deep space, and the earth's atmosphere blocks most of this from reaching the earth's surface (although that hole in the ozone layer is letting in more UV). ...Over 80% of the ionizing radiation we encounter day to day comes from natural sources: cosmic rays, which are atomic particles from space; and alpha and beta particles from radioactive gas, namely radon. ...Medical X rays account for about all the rest of our ionizing radiation exposure."\n\nYou don't have to move, and no one's brain is being harmed.
903234
Cant rule out the possibility. \nBut..... based on currently available technology its very unlikely  within the next 50 to100 years. Definitely not in our life time.
342602
For one thing, this isn't a big cover-up conspiracy, as there is a massive amount of information on EMP readily available on the internet or at your library.   Secondly, you said the answer yourself, we don't really have an adequate defense scheme.  Why would you induce public panic when you don't have any good advice or solutions to offer people?  Furthermore, I whole-heartedly doubt that folks in Washington haven't considered this threat.  They know about thousands of potential security risks, and constantly have to judge which are the highest priorities.  This one is currently a low priority because nobody has really built a massive EMP weapon (aside from nuclear bombs, but then you have bigger problems).  In other words, it's really not very likely to be a threat any time soon.  Possible?  Yes, of course, but not likely.\n\nAlso, did you consider writing a letter to your Congressmen, or other officials?  Maybe you should let them know your ideas, since you feel so strongly about them.
1090839
I would say if the EMF was strong enough and the laser weak enough, yes.
1161304
Partially yes.\nIf it is within the heat seeking range and the radius of target is big enough to make the missile follow its route, it can happen. The missile however can not make a sudden and sharp U-turn on very short & split second notices.\nThat is where the reflexes, the professional skill and sharpness of the pilot counts.
1048978
Doubtul.  The earth's magnetic field simply isn't that strong.  If it were, it would overwhelm any electronic devices on earth due to induced current.  While overall it's strong enough to protect us from harm from the solar wind and other nasty charged particles in space, it's not strong enough to harness locally for any useful work.
349740
Yes the electricity sparks can cause an explosion. I read about that a long time ago.