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Frazzled wrote:I think we've moved beyond that issue at this point and have indeed discovered the true thread- "Fin"-Land.
The more that I think about it, the most this may be the defining issue of our time. The more you cogitate this, the more you realize that its a plot by the fish people, to trip up our youth, to make them accustomed to creatures walking around on land, on fins. Do you realize how far up the conspiracy goes? We've been indoctrinated for GENERATIONS to think "Fin"-Land is normal, all the while the nefarious fish people have been plotting and pondering our situation with intellects as intelligent as they are cold. We are through the Looking Glass here people. If I suddenly have an accident, remember they are out there! WATCH THE WAVES!

Veering wildly off-topic.... he's right you know! They've already invaded the U.S.: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/pf/23987089.html

Sorry, it was just too funny to pass up.

Careening back onto topic...

As near as I can discern, these are using a refinement of the "plasma" tech the U.S. (possibly other countries, I only know of th U.S. for sure) was using in WWII for welding. As manufacturing capabilities improved, engineers discovered that by increasing the pressure of the inert gas and reducing the size of the outlet nozzle, the gas stopped being an oxidation-free zone for arc welders and became an awesome metal-slicing jet of free-ranging electrons (admittedly, they don't range far, but all that electron pinball makes for lots of energy). Same basic principle as a fluorescent light bulb, but a lot hotter.

I found a video of a version made by PEAK Surgical showing one in use and compared to standard scalpels/thermal cutters, but forewarned, it is in use on "in vivo" (aka living) flesh (people and pigs) so it's not for the squeamish. It can be found here: http://www.peaksurgical.com/video/plasmablade.cfm.

What I would like to know i if the version the military is testing requires a lead to be hooked to the patient or if it's using the newer tech with the self-contained arc? Self-contained seems like it would be quicker and easier to utilize, but I can imagine it would be of limited use once you cracked the sterile seal, as any debris in the gap could render it useless.

On the other hand, I'm just speculating based on what I've learned in all them fancy college classes, and seen on the internet. For all I know, you can deflect incoming fire with the thing

Kanluwen wrote:Is it a report worthy offense to file a false report to make Frazzled think he's losing it?

You are so behind the curve there...

Whatever country invented Warhammer wins this thread.

We wouldn't be having this discussion otherwise.

Don't you mean whatever country invented the Internet?

Don't you mean whatever country discovered fire?

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/01/16/darpa_wound_spraygun_cement/

Also Halo 'Bio-foam' a cement like foam designed to seal off the most terrible of wounds.

http://halo.wikia.com/wiki/BioFoam

JonnyDelta wrote:

What they are describing here (for those who think this is leading to a power first) has a blade less than an inch long (if in keeping with hospital versions) and is for use in cases where immediate field surgery is necessary as a life saving procedure.

No skulls on it, no purity seals (except the plastic packaging!)

Sure sure, stay in denial. Im not saying it works like this television tube invented and a week later we have dual core processors
Thats slowed. BUT You would be a moron to think that this wont lead to grander things like say, possibly a plasma gun? Obviously in the real world, a powerfist in combat would be a pretty useless thing to have.
But the military is working on early stages of power armor. That plasma cutting tool, can be a stepping stone to plasma weapon technology. Its all got to start somewhere

Don't you mean whatever country invented the Internet?

Nah, the World Wide Web, mate!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3357073.stm

BOOM! Score '1' for Team Tea-bag, baby!

And we invented 40k, so you can keep your little 'plasma knife' - last I checked, metal ones still worked just fine.

Haha. I clicked on your British link and got:

404 - Page Not Found

American links are teh superyor. Each one can kill a billion Nazis.

Orkeosaurus wrote:Haha. I clicked on your British link and got:

404 - Page Not Found

American links are teh superyor. Each one can kill a billion Nazis.

This post is

KingCracker wrote:Sure sure, stay in denial. Im not saying it works like this television tube invented and a week later we have dual core processors
Thats slowed. BUT You would be a moron to think that this wont lead to grander things like say, possibly a plasma gun? Obviously in the real world, a powerfist in combat would be a pretty useless thing to have.
But the military is working on early stages of power armor. That plasma cutting tool, can be a stepping stone to plasma weapon technology. Its all got to start somewhere

We've still got a long way to go on the "portable power source" before things like that are really developed, but the base technology for channeling plasma from point A to B already exists. Basically, lasers are used to create a "plasma channel", which (mostly because of power requirements and inherent instability) isn't really powerful enough to be "destructive" on its own (yet). But it can be used to "conduct" electricity, basically it becomes a "lightning tunnel". At least one company is working on developing it as a bomb-disposal tech for the U.S. armed forces [http://ionatron.com/laser-guided-energy.asp] and another company is using a high-voltage/low-amperage version to make a taser-like device [http://www.hsvti.com/]. At the moment these things are big, bulky, get knocked out of calibration easily and have massive power requirements, but a computer that today's basic PDA's would outperform used to take a warehouse full of electronics and cooling systems. If they ever get the power requirements problem solved (maybe we could reincarnate Einstein and Tesla in the same body) we're looking at phasers. And you know if the USMC goes for them, they'll have to have the option to "Set for Overkill"

Drat! Fixed it now...

Hey, I never said I invented the WWW... gak, I can't even post a url properly!

...well, lets see, we're fielding combat robots, according to rumor one of which at least acted like an infantryman enough to shoot it's own officer when ordered to make a frontal assault on a dug in enemy...

...we're making light sabers for our elite units...

...we're working on power armor for the troops too...

...begun, this clone war has...