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JediHilt
09-30-2007, 09:52 AM
I was talking with my grandpa here the other day and he was in the navy and worked on alot of experimental stuff like vulcan cannons, nightvision scopes, ion propulsion engines and so forth. One of the things he worked on was an anti-personel light that they either carried with a backpack or mounted on tank. This light about the size of a spot light and used cesium with the element and there was an iris that focused the beam of light. When the iris focused the beam of light would burn the retinas right out of people eyes instantly for quite a distance. If we could use this cesium light technology on a much smaller scale a day light bright lightsaber may be possible.

Lord Maul
09-30-2007, 10:11 AM
Keyword in that post: Experimental

I really doubt that the military would ever put that weapon into use due to the fact that making tons of people blind isn't good. Also, this "cesium" stuff isn't save for the average joe to work with I bet.

Dregan
10-01-2007, 06:25 AM
Cesium is no more difficult to deal with than tunsgten, in regards to what JH is talking about. There are a plethera of other problems, though. This technology is derived from regular incandesant light bulbs, just replacing the tungston element with a thicker cesium one, which burns brighter. Replacing the vacuum with an inert gas, like xenon or argon helps too. This design, while very bright, also is (a) large. Very large. and (b) HOT!!! In our world of sabermaking, they'd be too hot to hold and require an insane amount of power. I'm talking about lugging around a marine battery, here. Also, they'd be very impact-sensative, and (knowing my luck) would break the first time I'd duel with them.

On a side note, these didn't actually 'burn' anyone retinas out. What they did do was create immediate temporary blindness. Ever look at a flashlight at night? Same thing, only more intense and longer lasting. In fact, your average HID headlight actually puts out more light than the original prototypes of these. But that's not to say that this didn't lead anywhere. That idea is now used in riot control and prisons, only instead of insane bright (and HOT!!!) light bulbs thet use green lasers. Neat stuff.