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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.

-- 
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