NEXT: SQUIRRELS

AMERICAN scientists are making a ray gun to kill mosquitoes. Using technology developed under the Star Wars anti-missile programme, the zapper is being built in Seattle where astrophysicists have created a laser that locks onto airborne insects.

(Thanks to Ralph)

Comments

[Jeff Meyerson]

You know this was invented by a guy, right?

[Not My Usual Alias]

This is your brain.
This is your brain that is too close to a science experiment with ray guns.

Any questions?

I fear what the insects' scientists are coming up with in the escalating war.

[Mitch]

I heard Bullwinkle was advising Rocky to stay earthbound until this criminal idea blows over.

[ron]

And in the morning I'll be shoveling burnt mosquitos instead of snow.Walks off grumbling to himself.

[Martinishark]

Do the fried bugs smell better or worse than the citronella candles is the question.

[NotSherly]

Staving off boredom after having mastered all the levels of Halo or WorldofWarcraft.

I have always wondered what those skills would be good for.

[nursecindy]

I thought bug zappers had already been invented. This is probably a little more 'high tech' meaning men were involved. My first thought was you'd have to be an awfully good shot to shoot a mosquito with a ray gun. Poor Ron. You're always shoveling something aren't you.

[Horace LaBadie]

So, they heard about the Russian mosquito that survived outside the International Space Station, and came up with an orbital death ray to deal with it. Sounds like the plot of the next James Bond movie. "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to fry."

[O the U(manity)]

Backed by Bill Gates ? ? ?

After 4,329 updates, upgrades and re-boots, the mosquitoes will have carried away all the ray-gunmen ...

[Margaritaville]

I really hope that I do not make any mosquito-like sounds.

[pogo]

This is cool, but I want to be able to pull the trigger myself.

[padraig]

Too cold and impersonal. I want a remote control drone that chases mosquitoes around while I sit inside the mosquito netting with a computer screen and a joystick and a rubber stamp so I can mark my desk chair with every kill. Yeah, and a nickname...

[Horace LaBadie]

You know it's only a matter of time before the mosquito scientists come up with a jamming device.

[ron]

Nursecindy,Thanks for the sympathy.Billions of fried,dead mosquitos would be 3 feet deep in the drive.The ones we have here have V8 engines.

[Mot The Hoople]

THis reminds me of the 60s when NASA spent millions developing a pen that could write in zero G conditions when a simple pencil would've worked perfectly. I just think can of raid is about as much technology we need for this.

[Mot The Hoople]

Who stole my "a"?

[Cheesewiz]

When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

What could possibly go wrong?

[pogo]

There was a commercial I loved several years ago. A back-woods guy in bibbers sitting on his porch dipping chips in Tabasco. A mosquito lights on his arm and he grinned as it drilled in. Then the mosquito took off, went about 3 feet, and exploded in flames, to the maniacal chuckles of the bite-ee.

[Mot The Hoople]

Ha Pogo, we had that same commercial over here.

[ron]

It's a beautiful day here today,bright sunshine,50 degrees.No mosquitos.

nursecindy,--I just shoveled to the two back sheds.There's 3 feet of snow.Actually one is a wood fired sauna that we haven't used this winter because it's been so miserable getting there.We'll use it tonight.

[nursecindy]

You really need to think about a snowblower. Are you tired of shoveling snow or do you look at it as a great stress reliever and work out? When it snowed here last week, I didn't have a snow shovel. We don't get much snow here. I used a broom. It didn't work so well but 4 days later it was 83 degrees so problem solved. Today it's 46 degrees and raining. Spring in the Carolinas. You gotta love it.

[Moon]

They are really NOT after mosquitoes. This is technology being developed for the upcoming Nano-bot war!

[Moon]

Who stole my "a"?

The FONZ?

[Alfred]

I don't remember any mosquitoes in Seattle. To wet and fresh.

[Meanie the Blue]

This is such a buzzkill.

[Ralph]

Life imitates art.

[Clankazoid]

A full sized model that takes out skateboarders is in development.

[LuLu and LoLLy!]

We are 2 dogs and personally, we want the one that works on skwirls. LuLu and LoLLy, Austin, Texas. http://www.luluandlollly.com

[Dudley Do-Right]

Who stole my "a"?

The FONZ? Nope.

A canadian, a.

[Annie Where-but-here]

ron, if you buy the snowblower, it will stop snowing.

Try it. It really works.

[pogo]

Annie - Of course it works in S. Cal.

[Annie Where-but-here]

Shh, pogo. Don't break the man's will.

[ron]

One of my neighbors bought a snowblower this year.It's already worn out.I lay his purchase of a snowblower down to being the root cause of this winter's ample dumping.

This has made me part of The Ample Dumping Gang.

[Prairie Dog]

Mot, hate to be a buzz-kill (heh), but the space pen story is false.
http://www.snopes.com/business/genius/spacepen.asp

Incidentally, I'd LOVE to have one of these.

[Ednausean]

They say that only the FEMALE 'Skeeters' transmit the disease? So why kill all those innocent males??

Who'll be around to produce the more valuable males???

If the scientists spare the males, most will rat out on those back-biting blood sucking flying vampires that escape detection .

[CJrun]

What's the carbon footprint from roasting billions of mosquitos?