Laser Pointers Are a Very Big Problem for Aircraft, Apparently
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has released two videos that together form a cautionary tale about the dangers of sending your laser pointers to the sky.
Apparently, there were 2,836 "laser events" logged with the Federal Aviation Administration. That's nearly double the number of "laser events" from 2009. In the video above, you can see how a person with a laser pointer was tracked down and arrested. Can you imagine what that would be like? Shine a pointer into the sky and minutes later, you're carted off by the cops! In the video below, the FBI tells the story of how it happens and even drags the poor guy who got nailed to the microphone.
There is a real safety issue here, it seems. When you aim a laser pointer very far away, the cone of light it emits grows with distance. So, by the time it reaches a helicopter or plane, it can light up the cockpit and blind the pilots.
WTF? You Americans are getting even more Orwellian and chicken. I've had worse driving on the highway and looking at passing cars. So using a laser pointer now gets the FBI on you and 20 years in prison? Seriously?
And your FBI produced videos are hilarious! I thought they were spoofing something it was so badly made and forced. But anything to scare the American sheep, right? http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/a ... ly/245784/
Oh, yeah, this reminds me, they should replace those 2 huge super bright spot lights at the World Trade Centre that point straight up to the sky and blind everything. Put 2 dainty laser pointers there instead. Save a lot of energy and money to pay back the national debt.
Laser pointers have already been banned in an Australian state
New South Wales officials got fed up after lasers hit airplanes landing at Sydney’s airport, in March 2008. The Australian state banned laser pointers and put them in the same “dangerous weapon” category as guns and crossbows. Possession and/or misuse of laser pointers can get you a fine or even up to 14 years in prison.
If I remember correctly ,I've seen laser sights for 'counter' terrorism that are extra extra bright so they can be used to blind people for a short time !
Feck wrote:If I remember correctly ,I've seen laser sights for 'counter' terrorism that are extra extra bright so they can be used to blind people for a short time !
Tom Clancey proposed this in Debt of Honor. Took out a few Japanese AWACS with it.
Ein Ubootsoldat wrote:“Ich melde mich ab. Grüssen Sie bitte meine Kameraden.”
Feck wrote:If I remember correctly ,I've seen laser sights for 'counter' terrorism that are extra extra bright so they can be used to blind people for a short time !
Tom Clancey proposed this in Debt of Honor. Took out a few Japanese AWACS with it.
That wasn't laser light, just a highly focused really bright ordinary light IIRC.
Gawd wrote:»
And those Zumwalts are already useless, they can be taken out with an ICBM.
The world is a thing of utter inordinate complexity and richness and strangeness that is absolutely awesome. I mean the idea that such complexity can arise not only out of such simplicity, but probably absolutely out of nothing, is the most fabulous extraordinary idea. And once you get some kind of inkling of how that might have happened, it's just wonderful. And . . . the opportunity to spend 70 or 80 years of your life in such a universe is time well spent as far as I am concerned.
Feck wrote:If I remember correctly ,I've seen laser sights for 'counter' terrorism that are extra extra bright so they can be used to blind people for a short time !
Tom Clancey proposed this in Debt of Honor. Took out a few Japanese AWACS with it.
That wasn't laser light, just a highly focused really bright ordinary light IIRC.
Near as damn it.
Ein Ubootsoldat wrote:“Ich melde mich ab. Grüssen Sie bitte meine Kameraden.”
Those 1-5w lasers can easily cause permanent blindness.
A rational skeptic should be able to discuss and debate anything, no matter how much they may personally disagree with that point of view. Discussing a subject is not agreeing with it, but understanding it.
Tyrannical wrote:Those 1-5w lasers can easily cause permanent blindness.
From thousands of feet in the air? Freaking come on.
Next time I'm at an airport I will say, "I have a laser pointer and I'm not afraid to point it!!!"
Just demonstrating your ignorance by referring them to them as laser pointers
A rational skeptic should be able to discuss and debate anything, no matter how much they may personally disagree with that point of view. Discussing a subject is not agreeing with it, but understanding it.
They point and they are lasers. They are laser pointers. Or do you prefer to call them weapons of mass destruction? I'm sure Saddam had a few laser pointers somewhere....
I bought one of those green lasers off woot.com a couple of years ago. Posted about it on Facebook... the next day, there was a news report about someone shining a laser at a plane landing at Logan airport, from the approximate vicinity of my neighborhood. Wasn't me, but I'm still glad I don't have friends who are itching to turn me in for something.
