The Pentagon's Secret Scream: Sonic devices

[Elheru Aran]

Hmm... wonder how this weapon would affect already-deaf people?

I'm profoundly deaf myself, from since I was about 1 year old (spinal meningitis). Oddly enough, I have found that I can at least feel, if not hear outright, certain frequencies... violin playing, for example, if I'm in the same room, is almost literally painful for me. If it's on the radio or something, I don't feel it, but if it's in person, well, I have to leave the room. Also, on occasion, bats have gotten into the buildings I've been in (I used to live in Africa... surprise anybody? ), and I've thought I could feel some kind of clicky sound-- possibly their echolocation?

So I wonder how this kind of thing would affect me... I'd certainly feel it, that's for sure (I've been to concerts and I can feel the vibrations from the speakers in my body), but I wonder what effect it would have?

[The Yosemite Bear]

*..Visions of Maud Dib...*

So when do we get the version that shatters brick and concrete?

as long as we don't try and use them agaionst bugs from the planet klendethu

[CaptainChewbacca]

Crazy wookies

You should try putting a slab of concrete infront of your groin and let someone sledgehammer it into pieces.

Didn't some guy do that on guinness world records?

[Elheru Aran]

In China and most of east Asia, they've got the occasional demonstration by supposed kung-fu "masters"... they'll have someone pile up bricks on their body, and then smash 'em all with a sledgehammer. Or they'll do the same... lying on a bed of nails. Break handcuffs. Hack away at themselves with swords and knives, and not be cut (the knives are actually demonstrably sharp, as often they have someone cut vegetables on their back as they bend over). Have their helpers slam flagstones against their sides, and break the stones. That kind of stuff... supposedly they can do it through highly developed "chi-gung" powers.

I once read about this Thai boxer who, on a demonstration tour in Britain back in the '80s, broke up a bunch of Coke bottles on a board, poured gas over the whole thing, set it on fire, and then stepped into the whole mess... and stood on one foot. You could hear the glass crunching, supposedly-- he did all kinds of things standing in the glass, always on one leg (swapping legs on occasion, i suppose), and when he got out, he wasn't burned at all, nor was he cut. This was in a gym full of people watching.

Not saying any of this is real... the Thai boxer story is kind of weird, but the Chinese kung-fu masters are probably just good at faking stuff-- i've seen the thing with knives done in Nigeria. my dad offered to take a turn with the knife-- his own-- and the guy wouldn't let him. Hint, hint...

*still waiting for a response about my earlier post, incidentally...*

[Embracer Of Darkness]

I just want to see what a wall of sound feels like. And 140 decibels from the sonic weapon is probably about the same as 2 solid days of rock & roll.

Ummm, no. Even the loudest rock concerts rarely exceed 110 dB, and 140 dB is roughly one thousand times as intense.

Someone's never seen Dimmu Borgir live. (Joke.)

[Shroom Man 777]

Crazy wookies

You should try putting a slab of concrete infront of your groin and let someone sledgehammer it into pieces.

Didn't some guy do that on guinness world records?

Saw it on some commercial for "Now See This". *shrugs* It's cool though. Why? You wanna use two slabs and two hammers?

[Shroom Man 777]

I wonder what happens when you combine DW's sonic shitting weapon and an infrasound microphone! *visualizes people shitting for miles*

Cool!

[Gil Hamilton]

I wonder what happens when you combine DW's sonic shitting weapon and an infrasound microphone! *visualizes people shitting for miles*

Cool!

Actually, the idea of using infrasound as a weapon to make people shit their pants and be unable to fight isn't new. Fittingly, the French invented it in the 70s.

[Darth Wong]

In China and most of east Asia, they've got the occasional demonstration by supposed kung-fu "masters"... they'll have someone pile up bricks on their body, and then smash 'em all with a sledgehammer. Or they'll do the same... lying on a bed of nails. Break handcuffs. Hack away at themselves with swords and knives, and not be cut (the knives are actually demonstrably sharp, as often they have someone cut vegetables on their back as they bend over). Have their helpers slam flagstones against their sides, and break the stones. That kind of stuff... supposedly they can do it through highly developed "chi-gung" powers.

I once read about this Thai boxer who, on a demonstration tour in Britain back in the '80s, broke up a bunch of Coke bottles on a board, poured gas over the whole thing, set it on fire, and then stepped into the whole mess... and stood on one foot. You could hear the glass crunching, supposedly-- he did all kinds of things standing in the glass, always on one leg (swapping legs on occasion, i suppose), and when he got out, he wasn't burned at all, nor was he cut. This was in a gym full of people watching.

Magic shows also take place in a room full of people watching. That doesn't mean they're using actual magic

Not saying any of this is real... the Thai boxer story is kind of weird, but the Chinese kung-fu masters are probably just good at faking stuff-- i've seen the thing with knives done in Nigeria. my dad offered to take a turn with the knife-- his own-- and the guy wouldn't let him. Hint, hint...

*still waiting for a response about my earlier post, incidentally...*

The one where you asked what effect it would have on a deaf person? Probably very little if any, assuming it uses high-frequency sound. But the point of a riot control weapon is to break up crowds, and unless the entire crowd is deaf, it should work fine.

[Arthur_Tuxedo]

In China and most of east Asia, they've got the occasional demonstration by supposed kung-fu "masters"... they'll have someone pile up bricks on their body, and then smash 'em all with a sledgehammer. Or they'll do the same... lying on a bed of nails. Break handcuffs. Hack away at themselves with swords and knives, and not be cut (the knives are actually demonstrably sharp, as often they have someone cut vegetables on their back as they bend over). Have their helpers slam flagstones against their sides, and break the stones. That kind of stuff... supposedly they can do it through highly developed "chi-gung" powers.

I don't know much about beds of nails and knives, but the smashing bricks I've seen. The trick is the person lets out a strong yelp, causing the force of it to cancel out the force of the hammer. And there were some prisoners on a show I watched about Con Air who had to have special measures taken because they could snap handcuffs like twigs, so it's not impossible for a kung fu practitioner to do the same.

I once read about this Thai boxer who, on a demonstration tour in Britain back in the '80s, broke up a bunch of Coke bottles on a board, poured gas over the whole thing, set it on fire, and then stepped into the whole mess... and stood on one foot. You could hear the glass crunching, supposedly-- he did all kinds of things standing in the glass, always on one leg (swapping legs on occasion, i suppose), and when he got out, he wasn't burned at all, nor was he cut. This was in a gym full of people watching.

I saw something similar in San Francisco. There was this Jamaican guy who was stomping and jumping on a pile of broken glass and his feet weren't cut. I didn't touch the glass to make sure it was sharp or anything, but glass makes a very distinctive sound that's hard to fake.

[The Yosemite Bear]

Depends on the kind of glass being used.

[Arthur_Tuxedo]

Looked like the glass was entirely from broken beer bottles.

[Shroom Man 777]

Could've been Candy (or was it sugar) glass. That same shit used in movie props. Mmmm...candy.... *Homer Simpson drooling noises*

So what's this about the screams and yelps cancelling out the forces of the hammer? How the fuck does it work? I mean, just screaming and you'll be A-ok?

[Comosicus]

Maybe the Pentagon wants to manufacture the sonic cannons of the Geonosians

[Arthur_Tuxedo]

Could've been Candy (or was it sugar) glass. That same shit used in movie props. Mmmm...candy.... *Homer Simpson drooling noises*

So what's this about the screams and yelps cancelling out the forces of the hammer? How the fuck does it work? I mean, just screaming and you'll be A-ok?

Well, it's something you learn to do in most martial arts. It's a short, sharp exhale. Just screaming would probably get you broken ribs .

[Beowulf]

Another thing about the breaking bricks is that the act of breaking the bricks absorbs energy. It's somewhat analogous to try to break a wooden board with a kick. It hurts a lot if you don't break it, but if you do, it doesn't hurt at all.

[Shroom Man 777]

Could've been Candy (or was it sugar) glass. That same shit used in movie props. Mmmm...candy.... *Homer Simpson drooling noises*

So what's this about the screams and yelps cancelling out the forces of the hammer? How the fuck does it work? I mean, just screaming and you'll be A-ok?

Well, it's something you learn to do in most martial arts. It's a short, sharp exhale. Just screaming would probably get you broken ribs .

How can a short sharp exhale do that?