Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with weapons

Good guys get blue, bad guys get red.

uaudio — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:06:39 -0800

How close are we to handheld laser weapons? I read an article about a laser on a C-130 burning a hole through a car, a 747 that can shoot down an ICBM, and now a truck-mounted laser that can bring down a plane or UAV. What kind of science challenges do we need to meet before these weapons are issued to soldiers, etc.? I'm sure the power is the biggest challenge, what other ones are there?

How destructive are current U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals relative to their maximum levels?

Joe Beese — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 14:54:02 -0800

How destructive are current U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals relative to their maximum levels? For simplicity's sake, we can define "destructiveness" as combined gross megatonnage, unless you have a better idea. I'm also assuming that it makes sense from a political/military perspective to consider weapons stored in former Soviet Union countries as belonging to Russia's maximum arsenal but not to its current arsenal, but correct me if I'm wrong.

Bonus points if you can find a link to a widely circulated graphic from the early-80s freeze movement. It represented the world's nuclear stockpile with dots placed in a rectangular matrix. Each dot represented one Hiroshima bomb, I think. One group of 3 dots was circled to indicate all the explosions in World War II - or something like that. And above them were dots and dots and dots...

Hand Me My Lightsaber. Don't Ask Why. Just Hand It to Me, OK?

Cool Papa Bell — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:20:49 -0800

Beware: Extreme nerd-itry dead ahead. In any of the various media permutations of the Star Wars universe, was it ever explained why there is such an emphasis on melee weapons? I get that in a universe with Force powers, there are denizens that can block blaster fire with lightsabers or even their bare hands. But the Jedi / Sith, or the superskills of a character like General Grevious, are few and far between compared to the enormous size of the story's universe.

So why is it that there are so many other characters depicted using swords, spears and other handheld hoo-hah, like the gaderffii of the Sand People.

You know, here on Earth, once the rifle was invented, it wasn't long before it dominated the battlefield...

The Weapons that Won the Eastern Front

EatTheWeak — Wed, 13 May 2009 17:37:24 -0800

Please recommend resources about Soviet and Nazi weapons! Hi AskMe. I'm looking for some help in pinning down some authoritative, well-researched works on the weapons of the Red Army and airforce and the Nazis fighting in Russia during the Second World War (or, the Great Patriotic War, if you prefer). I'm most interest in the air forces and infantry weapons, but I wouldn't be much of a war nerd if I asked that we leave out tanks.

I'm really interested in how differences in engineering played out in the battlefield, the more detail the better. I want to explore firepower, obviously, but I'm also curious about how things like engine design, materials used and maintenance realities contributed to the outcome of the war.

So, I'm interested in whatever you got - books, articles, documentaries, websites - anything with solid research on the weapons the Soviets and the Nazis used to fight for control of Russia - planes and infantry weapons preferred, all categories welcome. The more affordable the resource, the better.

Thank you! Happy Victory Day!

Defending against Somali pirates.

boby — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 07:07:31 -0800

Recent hostage taking by Somali pirates from ships near their border makes me wonder why it's illegal to arm a ship with weapons to protect themselves from attack? If the pirates know that they'll be on the receiving end of machine gun fire or larger weapons.....they might think twice about attacking.

What's the most comprehensive book on weaponry?

Steph1en — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 18:57:34 -0800

What's the most comprehensive/best book on weaponry? I was at a flea market this morning and came across a nice but limited book on weaponry by Chuck Wills. I'm interested in getting a book that details weapons used throughout human history especially from stone, bronze and iron ages. Illustrations are a must.

I'm guessing modern/guns would probably be more comprehensive in a separate volume. If you happen to know a book for that too I would appreciate it.

I enjoy the craftsmanship, the artwork/design, and the awesome/brutality/killing factor of them.

Nukes… in… space…

Artw — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 14:25:33 -0800

To what extent would the lack of an atmosphere reduce the effectiveness of nuclear weapons?

That's just wrong!

sixcolors — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 18:45:54 -0800

How common is it for young people to conceal (weapons and drugs) and steal? I know stealing and concealing drugs/weapons are kind of different subjects, but what they both have in common...if they get caught other people (innocent) can get in trouble too. Guilty by association.

Within the last month, I found out some crazy things about a few of the people I hang out with.

-I gave a couple a friends a ride down to the bar. Little did I know that the person sitting behind me was drinking from a flask. It is illegal in my area to drink alcoholic beverages in a moving car. Fortunately another friend "told" on her.
-There are rumors that some more people sneaked in flasks at an overnight service project.
-One of my friends discovered that some people sneaked pot in his car.
-A couple people, mostly the guys, carry knives and sometimes guns to everyday places, such as malls and parks.
-Two people admitted to shoplifting.
-One friend caught another friend stealing at her house.

Now, not all of these people are close friends, thank God, but I do hang out with them on semi-regular basis. And I have been hanging out with them for a while. I was just unaware of their "deviant activities" until recently.

Am I just associating with a rough crowd? Or, am I naive and it is quite common for young people (20-28) to do those sort of things?

Can I bring a Leatherman on an Amtrak?

box — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:44:12 -0800

Will I be able to take a pocketknife/Leatherman-style pocket tool on an Amtrak train, or will it be considered a weapon?

How come we aren't all mutants?

SpacemanStix — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 09:51:55 -0800

According to this chart, there have been 2,422 nuclear explosions since 1945, including above ground, under ground, and in the sea. I'm somewhat amazed that this isn't having more of permanent negative effect. Does spreading out all the nuclear activity allow our ecosystem to absorb the radiation in reasonable intervals? Chernobyl has been a wasteland since the reactor meltdown. Was it simply that much more radioactive than actually testing bombs?

Do the cops kill on The Wire

The Radish — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 13:20:22 -0800

On The Wire, how many of the cops have fired their weapons at someone? I believe there is an episode where Bunk might fire his gun while drunk down by the railroad (he may not have though, he may have just waved it around). Also, Prez fires his gun on two separate occasions with disastrous consequences both times. Other than that I can't seem to recall the cops in the show firing their weapons. They certainly draw them frequently enough but don't seem to actually fire them that often.

So, is your memory better than mine Ask.Me?

Skull bashing for sport

Space Coyote — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 07:13:29 -0800

What percentage of baseball bats sold are bought by people intending to use them primarily as a weapon or threatening object, vs. how many sold primarily for playing baseball? A survey with such numbers would be ideal, if anyone can point me to such a thing. Googling hasn't turned up anything for me.

And a US vs. worldwide number would be even better.

* Yes this is for a pub quiz I'm making.

You know, because it hits the master of the race. Right? Hello?

ulotrichous — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 15:12:14 -0800

Have you ever seen the blue spiny shell that locks on to the leader in Mario Kart referred to as a 'Master Shell'? It's usually called a 'Blue Shell' or a 'Spiny Shell' in the manuals, but I feel certain that I saw it called a 'Master Shell' in an early manual somewhere for a Mario game that may not have been in the Kart series. I've always called it a Master Shell, but google has no knowledge of anyone calling it that (other than me). I figure on something such as this, google is pretty definitive; is it possible that there is something that was once written in a videogame manual that google is not aware of?

Obviously, this is an extremely important question. Have you ever heard it called a 'Master Shell', or did I just make it up?

What the bleep do we know about weaponizing Quantum Mechanics?

basicchannel — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 00:10:28 -0800

Have humans' evil brains yet conceived of ways to weaponize the ideas and implications relating to Quantum Mechanics? It took roughly 30 years for humanity to weaponize General Relativity. It's been, what, roughly half a century since QM/QP has gained acceptance? This shocking lapse in evil human ingenuity can mean only one thing: I am ignorant to the various sundry DARPA projects that have been undertaken to solve this vexing problem! Please hope me MeFi!

Hopefully This Stays In The Realm Of Theory

absalom — Mon, 09 Oct 2006 19:03:47 -0800

If someone walks into my classroom (filled with students) wielding a gun, what should I do? I have recieved no training or input in this area, and while I cannot imagine it ever happening at my school, if it ever does happen, I'd like to make sure myself and my children see the event through safely.

Do people with concealed weapons foil crimes?

redteam — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 18:27:08 -0800

Are there any reports of citizens with concealed weapons in the USA foiling bank robberies or other violent crimes? Some people say that if everyone had concealed weapons, violent crime would disappear. I hear that certain states (in the USA) are much easier to get a concealed weapons permit in.

Links to news stories or studies are great. Anecdotes are ok, but they better be good.

This question was inspired by this post.

Are guns more available than they used to be?

abbyladybug — Thu, 26 Jan 2006 17:34:51 -0800

Where can I find out information about gun availability. I recently heard that handguns are no more available than they ever have been, but that doesn't seem right. I found some stats on the Department of Justice site, but these stats don't exactly cover what I'm looking for. It seems to me that over time, there would of course be more guns available, since guns don't stop working and more are always being made. Unless guns are destroyed, it seems the numbers are always going to rise.

Ninja Gifts Wanted

bac — Sun, 09 Jan 2005 19:17:11 -0800

NinjaFilter: Help me select a present for a Japanese-weapon-loving friend. [MI] A friend of mine, who is nuts about Japanese culture and weaponry (the whole Samurai/Ninja thing), is turning 18 in a few weeks. She already has several wooden practice weapons and "fantasy" swords, but as she's approaching adulthood I'd like to get her something a step or two above that: a real sword or dagger or the like, something with an edge that could actually be used as a weapon.

What I've been able to find in several hours of Froogling is either obvious junk, purely decorative, or obvious non-junk that's way above my price range ($150-200). Can anybody suggest anything?