Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site nmtvax.UUCP Path: utzoo!decvax!ucbvax!ucdavis!lll-crg!seismo!cmcl2!lanl!unm-la!unmvax!nmtvax!overlord From: overlord@nmtvax.UUCP Newsgroups: net.startrek Subject: Re: Phasers Message-ID: <847@nmtvax.UUCP> Date: Sat, 2-Nov-85 02:25:46 EST Article-I.D.: nmtvax.847 Posted: Sat Nov 2 02:25:46 1985 Date-Received: Sun, 3-Nov-85 12:05:43 EST Reply-To: overlord@nmtvax.UUCP (Alan Kerr) Distribution: na Organization: New Mexico Tech, Socorro Lines: 26 >> they were using lasers, when did phasers come to being? what does >> "phaser" stand for?) >> >> >> Kriton (princeton!tilt!kyrimis) > LASER: Light Amplification by Stimulated Emmision of Radiation. PHASER: Phased Amplification by Stimulated Emmision of Radiation. This phased amplification is why the phaser had so many settings. You could selectivly cause a desired effect.... heat: amplify in the IR region. Stun: amplify on the frequency/voltage/whatever for a nerve cell to fire. Disrupt: amplify on known resonance frequencies until it explodes. Etc. As I understand it, we have very similar devices today. (but not so small or varying in effect) So the phaser is not a "far-fetched" device. Oh well, so much for my $0.02 worth. -- ...{convex,ucbvax,gatech,csu-cs,anl-mcs}!unmvax!nmtvax!overlord ...{purdue,cmc12}!lanl!nmtvax!overlord