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It was only a matter of time before someone harnessed the power of the lightning bolt and turned into a weapon (Nikola Tesla?). Ok, so they are not really using Mother Nature’s lightning bolts (cause that would be way too cool), but a U.S. Army lab is testing how lasers can create an energized plasma channel in the air — an invisible pathway for electricity to follow.

I am going to say it again casue it sounds so evil….scientists and engineers at Picatinny Arsenal are busy developing a device that will shoot lightning bolts down laser beams to destroy its target.

The weapon idea mimics the way that lightning leaps from thunderclouds to strike the ground — the electricity follows the path of least resistance.

So how much power are we talking? According to lead scientist on the project, George Fischer:

“If a laser beam is intense enough, its electro-magnetic field is strong enough to rip electrons off of air molecules, creating plasma,” said Fischer. “This plasma is located along the path of the laser beam, so we can direct it wherever we want by moving a mirror.

To put the energy output in perspective, a big filament light bulb uses 100 watts. The optical amplifier output is 50 billion watts of optical power.”

I am not sure what would be more destructive the Navy’s railgun superweapon capable of hurling hypersonic projectiles over 50 to 100 miles, or the Army’s future ‘Zeus’ division with their guns that shot lightning bolts instead of bullets?

[Cheers army]