ÑóẊîöʼn
18th May 2005, 06:51
After a recent debate, I have come to the conclusion that A) As technology develops, more and more powerful weapons are developed as a result. This unfortunately seems inevitable, B) By the time feasable weaponry becomes significantly more lethal than those of today, communism (If Marx was right) will be the principal but not exclusive social structure of humanity, leading to my final conclusion, that there will always be enemies of communism, and that such enemies need to be fought with the best available weapons, meaning that weapons research will be a necessary evil.
So, what are our options? Here are some possible future developments:
Disruption Weaponry
These weapons fire beams of particles that disrupt subatomic bonds. Really advanced and powerful versions could disassociate targets to the Planck level, effectively phasing them out of existance.
Plasma Weapons
Plasma is a very hot and fluid type of matter; It is the state of matter that the Sun is in. It can be magnetically contained, meaning it can be conveyed along a gun barrel.
It can be many thousands of degrees in temperature, causing nearby objects to burst into flames with the sheer heat. This can have a great psychological influence, as it is quite disturbing to see one half of a fellow squad be instantly incinerated to ash, and the other half spontaneously combust.
Disruptive Shields
Both a defensive and offensive technology, Disruption Shields form a magnetically controlled bubble of disintergrator particles around a unit, destroying projectiles and damaging approaching units.
Lasers
You know what these are. we already have industrial lasers, so imagine them beefed up and scaled down to infantry rifle size. You've got yourself a potent point defense system and anti-missile weapon.
Mazers
As above, but with microwaves. Probably good for cooking enemy infantry.
X-Ray Lasers
Another variety, this time mounted in a missile and 'pumped' power by a nuclear bomb.
Most likely to be a starship weapon.
Nano-Disassemblers
While I'm personally skeptical about nanotech claims, this could be feasable with an appropiate delivery system; tiny little robots (Obviously) that converts any solid matter that emits a specified amount of heat into fuel and copies of itself. Should be treated as a biological weapon, but can threaten vehicles also.
Von Neumann Machines ('Autowars')
Like the above, but this time macro-scaled machines devour local matter (non-offensively) in order to self-replicate, attacking enemies while doing so.
Enemies who are slow in eliminating this threat will have a literally growing problem on their hands.
Lightning Gun
This weapon builds a massive negative charge while simultaneously building up a greater amount of positive charge on the target, resulting in a massive electric disharge. Good 'shock weapon' Because of the bright light and loud noise.
Tesla Coil
Most of you should know what this is. If you don't, google it. With a suffeciently powerful and compact energy supply, this would be a useful tactical level 'area-denial' weapon.
More humane that mines because they eventually run out energy and are more noticable.
Gravity Weapons
That's right, and it's more sophisticated than dropping rocks on your enemies (More on that later) If you can manipulate space-time, then surely, gravity being a curvature in aforementioned, you can manipulate it so that gravity is very high in a local area.
This weapon has surprisingly limited application. Without a doubt this is a weapon of last resort, as it can crush planets into singularities and cause stars (Of any type!) to go supernova.
Sonic Weapons
Not talking about the neighbour who won't turn his music down, but using soundwaves offensively. Causes organ rupture in infantry and will crack armoured vehicles if powerful enough.
'Gridfire'
Imagine a dimension full of violent, destructive energy. Imagine being able to open a portal of any desired size to this dimension, anywhere you want (right on top of an enemy).
That is Gridfire.
Wormhole Weapons
As with Gridfire, except it takes things away. You can hoover up entire enemy fleets with them, eat a planet up from the inside, or slowly suck the life from an enemy star.
Electromagnetic Pulse (Electronic Warfare)
Besides occuring as side effects of the atmospheric use of nuclear weapons, EMP has a utility of it's own; even today, Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) is in active service.
Neutron Weapons
Particle Accelerators turned weapons. Can be directed unlike neutron bombs, is very effective against biological assets, and can disrupt electronics too.
Railguns
Enjoying a current popularity in fiction, so there's a good chance you may have heard of them. Uses twin electromagnetic rails to propel a projectile at hypervelocities to a target.
Coilguns
Similar to above, but projectile does not contact coils so there is no wear & tear.
Would be suitable as space-based weapons for firing anti-matter.
Parabolic Mirrors
Focuses the sun's rays onto a target, frying it. Mirror will need to be at least a thousand km in diameter.
Anti-Matter Bombs
Think nukes on steroids that are 'clean' apart from an initial burst of gamma rays.
Wonder.
Artificial Lifeforms
An area denial weapon. The prospect of facing a tough, strong, smart species that insidiously reproduces via invisible spores and is downright scary-looking is pants-pissingly terrfying. Make them capable of interstellar travel for greater gribbly effect.
Or you could create a soldier race.
Mass Drivers
Similar to Coilguns, but instead these fire kilometer-wide asteroids at planets.
Highly devastating.
Relativistic Gravel
Fragments of asteroid accelerated to near-lightspeed at a target - without FTL communication systems, defence against a Relativistic Gravel attack is impossible.
Even more hurtful than mass drivers.
That's about all I could think of right now.
Thoughts?
So, what are our options? Here are some possible future developments:
Disruption Weaponry
These weapons fire beams of particles that disrupt subatomic bonds. Really advanced and powerful versions could disassociate targets to the Planck level, effectively phasing them out of existance.
Plasma Weapons
Plasma is a very hot and fluid type of matter; It is the state of matter that the Sun is in. It can be magnetically contained, meaning it can be conveyed along a gun barrel.
It can be many thousands of degrees in temperature, causing nearby objects to burst into flames with the sheer heat. This can have a great psychological influence, as it is quite disturbing to see one half of a fellow squad be instantly incinerated to ash, and the other half spontaneously combust.
Disruptive Shields
Both a defensive and offensive technology, Disruption Shields form a magnetically controlled bubble of disintergrator particles around a unit, destroying projectiles and damaging approaching units.
Lasers
You know what these are. we already have industrial lasers, so imagine them beefed up and scaled down to infantry rifle size. You've got yourself a potent point defense system and anti-missile weapon.
Mazers
As above, but with microwaves. Probably good for cooking enemy infantry.
X-Ray Lasers
Another variety, this time mounted in a missile and 'pumped' power by a nuclear bomb.
Most likely to be a starship weapon.
Nano-Disassemblers
While I'm personally skeptical about nanotech claims, this could be feasable with an appropiate delivery system; tiny little robots (Obviously) that converts any solid matter that emits a specified amount of heat into fuel and copies of itself. Should be treated as a biological weapon, but can threaten vehicles also.
Von Neumann Machines ('Autowars')
Like the above, but this time macro-scaled machines devour local matter (non-offensively) in order to self-replicate, attacking enemies while doing so.
Enemies who are slow in eliminating this threat will have a literally growing problem on their hands.
Lightning Gun
This weapon builds a massive negative charge while simultaneously building up a greater amount of positive charge on the target, resulting in a massive electric disharge. Good 'shock weapon' Because of the bright light and loud noise.
Tesla Coil
Most of you should know what this is. If you don't, google it. With a suffeciently powerful and compact energy supply, this would be a useful tactical level 'area-denial' weapon.
More humane that mines because they eventually run out energy and are more noticable.
Gravity Weapons
That's right, and it's more sophisticated than dropping rocks on your enemies (More on that later) If you can manipulate space-time, then surely, gravity being a curvature in aforementioned, you can manipulate it so that gravity is very high in a local area.
This weapon has surprisingly limited application. Without a doubt this is a weapon of last resort, as it can crush planets into singularities and cause stars (Of any type!) to go supernova.
Sonic Weapons
Not talking about the neighbour who won't turn his music down, but using soundwaves offensively. Causes organ rupture in infantry and will crack armoured vehicles if powerful enough.
'Gridfire'
Imagine a dimension full of violent, destructive energy. Imagine being able to open a portal of any desired size to this dimension, anywhere you want (right on top of an enemy).
That is Gridfire.
Wormhole Weapons
As with Gridfire, except it takes things away. You can hoover up entire enemy fleets with them, eat a planet up from the inside, or slowly suck the life from an enemy star.
Electromagnetic Pulse (Electronic Warfare)
Besides occuring as side effects of the atmospheric use of nuclear weapons, EMP has a utility of it's own; even today, Electronic Counter Measures (ECM) is in active service.
Neutron Weapons
Particle Accelerators turned weapons. Can be directed unlike neutron bombs, is very effective against biological assets, and can disrupt electronics too.
Railguns
Enjoying a current popularity in fiction, so there's a good chance you may have heard of them. Uses twin electromagnetic rails to propel a projectile at hypervelocities to a target.
Coilguns
Similar to above, but projectile does not contact coils so there is no wear & tear.
Would be suitable as space-based weapons for firing anti-matter.
Parabolic Mirrors
Focuses the sun's rays onto a target, frying it. Mirror will need to be at least a thousand km in diameter.
Anti-Matter Bombs
Think nukes on steroids that are 'clean' apart from an initial burst of gamma rays.
Wonder.
Artificial Lifeforms
An area denial weapon. The prospect of facing a tough, strong, smart species that insidiously reproduces via invisible spores and is downright scary-looking is pants-pissingly terrfying. Make them capable of interstellar travel for greater gribbly effect.
Or you could create a soldier race.
Mass Drivers
Similar to Coilguns, but instead these fire kilometer-wide asteroids at planets.
Highly devastating.
Relativistic Gravel
Fragments of asteroid accelerated to near-lightspeed at a target - without FTL communication systems, defence against a Relativistic Gravel attack is impossible.
Even more hurtful than mass drivers.
That's about all I could think of right now.
Thoughts?