[W01f]

Robot armies will never happen imo. Even if we do get them to be as intelligent as humans and physically superior for the same cost as training and feeding men, EMP weapons will be far more advanced and common place in most modern armies, rendering anything electronic useless.

[Dave]

If material science advances to the point where Faraday cages can be made lightweight then EMP may not be an issue.

[MB.]

rendering anything electronic useless.

Military grade electronic devices (communication satellites, firecomputers, etc) which are likely to be exposed to atomic blasts are hardened against EMPs.

[Dave]

Hardened is a relative term. They are protected against moderate EMP but a direct, powerful pulse nearby would still render them inoperable.

[MB.]

but a direct, powerful pulse

If you fired a powerful laser at a computer the least worry would be the electromagnetic interference.

[Dave]

If you fired a powerful laser at a computer the least worry would be the electromagnetic interference.

Indeed, but that's a directed energy, or beam weapon. An EMP propagates its wave across an area.

[MB.]

a direct, powerful pulse

What do you think a laser is?

An EMP propagates its wave across an area.

And is therefore exceedingly weak.

Anyway topic split.

[Dave]

And is therefore exceedingly weak.

Increase the power...

[MB.]

Increase the power...

Increase the shielding...

[Dave]

Hence my previous post about a hypothetical lightweight Faraday cage.

[Oxymoron]

Cant wait till we have sharks with freaking lasers.

[Thunderhawk]

Its a rather big assumption IMO that future armies and robots will be purely or overwhelmingly electronic in nature.

[Godstud]

The human element will always be in warfare in the future because these weapons can be countered.
Right now a great deal of technology being used in warfare is devastating only because an enemy with the technology to deal with it is not being faced. This will change eventually.

Directed or small EMP weapons would still need to be very sophisticated or they could pose a risk to the user as much as the target.

[Thunderhawk]

BTW, I wasnt talking about the human element. I believe alternatives to electrical circuitry will be developed and applied, in time. Photonic circuits, cybernetics, biological conductors, etc..

[Falx]

You guys are funny, with the advent of more and power powerful doomsday weapons the only people that we will need to face in direct combat will always be technologically backwards. Talking about robots and EMPS until planetary fleets become common is useless as no one will ever dare destroy the one planet we have in a war between major powers.

That said I think there is enough to talk about when/how it will happen.

If you fired a powerful laser at a computer the least worry would be the electromagnetic interference.

That would actually be the only thing you need to worry about, as a laser is an electromagnetic wave.

[MB.]

Code: Select allThat would actually be the only thing you need to worry about, as a laser is an electromagnetic wave.

How would you describe the difference between firing a concentrated beam of photons at a point with the intent of causing damage by increasing temperature as opposed to firing a pulse of photons with the intent of disabling electronic circuits? Both methods don't utilize the photoelectric effect do they?

[Zerogouki]

Comparing an EMP to a laser is stupid. It's like comparing a flamethrower to an internal combustion engine: aside from the fact that they both burn gasoline, they have nothing in common.

[Godstud]

Comparing an emp wave is like comparing a flamethrower to a blowtorch. One is just more focused than the other.

[Zerogouki]

No. Comparing a flamethrower to a blowtorch is like comparing a laser to a flashlight.