The idiots have made the news again

Or how about a 1GW Used to spilt atoms and create nuculear fusion. Now that would be a cool plane!!!

P.S 1GW=1,000,000,000mw

I found this link...

http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/04/big-safety-risk.html

"Those tempted to flash a laser skyward for a good laugh might want to think twice. In addition to potentially downing an aircraft, pranksters could get slapped with a $25,000 fine and/or 20 years in the clink. And officials are also considering prosecuting laser shining losers as domestic terrorists under the Patriot Act. Not something you want on your résumé."

That's pretty hefty!

NS0201 said:

Or how about a 1GW Used to spilt atoms and create nuculear fusion. Now that would be a cool plane!!!

P.S 1GW=1,000,000,000mw

Click to expand...

lol I study physics

Giga: X 10[sup]9[/sup]
mega: X 10[sup]6[/sup]
kilo: X 10[sup]3[/sup]
mili: X 10[sup]-3[/sup]
micro: X 10[sup]-6[/sup]
nano: X 10[sup]-9[/sup]

there I hope I taught someone something

so 532nm = 532 X 10[sup]-9[/sup]m!

nah lets not be silly a laserthat powerful coudl hurt someone ;D

SMIDSY said:

[quote author=NS0201 link=1207710665/24#32 date=1212351049]Or how about a 1GW Used to spilt atoms and create nuculear fusion. Now that would be a cool plane!!!

P.S 1GW=1,000,000,000mw

Click to expand...

lol I study physics

Giga: X 10[sup]9[/sup]
mega: X 10[sup]6[/sup]
kilo: X 10[sup]3[/sup]
mili: X 10[sup]-3[/sup]
micro: X 10[sup]-6[/sup]
nano: X 10[sup]-9[/sup]

there I hope I taught someone something

so 532nm = 532 X 10[sup]-9[/sup]m!

nah lets not be silly a laserthat powerful coudl hurt someone  ;D[/quote]


I am in 7th grade can we explain that in simpler terms please! Thank you.

NS0201 said:

[quote author=SMIDSY link=1207710665/24#33 date=1212351563][quote author=NS0201 link=1207710665/24#32 date=1212351049]Or how about a 1GW Used to spilt atoms and create nuculear fusion. Now that would be a cool plane!!!

P.S 1GW=1,000,000,000mw

Click to expand...

lol I study physics

Giga: X 10[sup]9[/sup]
mega: X 10[sup]6[/sup]
kilo: X 10[sup]3[/sup]
mili: X 10[sup]-3[/sup]
micro: X 10[sup]-6[/sup]
nano: X 10[sup]-9[/sup]

there I hope I taught someone something

so 532nm = 532 X 10[sup]-9[/sup]m!

nah lets not be silly a laserthat powerful coudl hurt someone ;D[/quote]


I am in 7th grade can we explain that in simpler terms please! Thank you.[/quote]


oops sorry :-/ we have to use this format- its called standard form it allows precision calculations to be easily made...

anyways:

Giga: 1 X 10[sup]9[/sup] = 1,000,000,000
mega: 1 X 10[sup]6[/sup]= 1,000,000
kilo: 1 X 10[sup]3[/sup]= 1,000
mili: 1 X 10[sup]-3[/sup]= 0.001
micro: 1 X 10[sup]-6[/sup] = 0.000001
nano: 1 X 10[sup]-9[/sup] =0.000000001

so 532nm (green laser) = 0.000000532m!

[/quote] I am in 7th grade can we explain that in simpler terms please! Thank you

oops sorry  :-/ we have to use this format- its called standard form it allows precision calculations to be easily made...

anyways:

Giga: 1 X 10[sup]9[/sup] = 1,000,000,000
mega: 1 X 10[sup]6[/sup]= 1,000,000
kilo: 1 X 10[sup]3[/sup]= 1,000
mili: 1 X 10[sup]-3[/sup]= 0.001
micro: 1 X 10[sup]-6[/sup] = 0.000001
nano: 1 X 10[sup]-9[/sup] =0.000000001

so 532nm (green laser) = 0.000000532m!
[/quote]


No I understood the top that's what we call scientfic notation but the bottom confused me and still does. What does that mean???

oh the 532nm thing?

the wavelength of the laser is measured in meters so when we say nm we mean nano meters which is 532 X 10 [sup]-9[/sup]m...

Things said:

I think mythbusters should test the theory, they give the pilots safety goggles, while a cameraman films from the back of the cockpit, and someone on the ground shines up a laser and see's if ts even possible. These dys the news stresses about everything, they even caught a kid that took a disposable camera to school and shocked people with it, geesh....... I still think these people should be punished, but the news makes such a big fuss about everything.

Click to expand...

Mythbusters are doing a viral video special.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESnxQ1J2Jvc

If a bunch of us find videos about lasers and aircraft, and post them as video responses, they might put it on. Although its a small chance since there are going to be so many suggestions.

The video was added September 23. Not sure when they pick one but probably not for a while.

Things said:

I think mythbusters should test the theory, they give the pilots safety goggles, while a cameraman films from the back of the cockpit, and someone on the ground shines up a laser and see's if ts even possible. These dys the news stresses about everything, they even caught a kid that took a disposable camera to school and shocked people with it, geesh....... I still think these people should be punished, but the news makes such a big fuss about everything.

Click to expand...

I just saw this thread now.......... damn good idea.....
I'm going to the Mythbuster's web site a find a place to try to submit that Show Idea.

I think ti would be cool for them to test it, though I doubt they could really do it up in the air, in a real plane. A better way would be to get a plane cockpit and put it at a distance, and angle it so it represents the angle a plane would be taking off and landing at. Also, can someone recommend them to get a RPL and not a wicked laser to test it. If they got a wicked laser it wouldbt be a fair test


Good luck. I know FrothyChimp is one of the mods on the mythbusters forum, thats pretty cool

No, a show like that would not be a good idea, and they would never even think about attempting it. This whole scare has a lot to do with national security. Whatever Mythbusters proves, and whatever warnings they may put up before showing it, they will be held responsible for copycat attempts by those idiots who see something on TV and want to imitate it. It's like having a Mythbuster episode to try to see whether you can assemble a bomb in an airport boarding area with the small amounts of liquids they allow you to carry past security. "Don't try this in real life, okay?" If it's verified, it lets people know lasers can and will cause crashes, if it's debunked, people will attempt it thinking it's okay. They can't win.

The thing with lasers and the aircraft is that it is not about causing permanent blindness, or a direct hit, it's more about the intense burst of light that temporarily blinds the pilot's vision, causing a lot of confusion. There doesn't even have to hit the pilot in the eyes; the beam can just light up the windshield or make it extremely bright and distracting. It doesn't take much to throw off your night-time vision. Sure, a bright flashlight could do that too, but not with the distance, coherence, and intensity of a laser.

Idiots with lasers is one reason I'm somewhat glad that the FDA is cracking down on these cheap powerful lasers. $30 for a blinding laser some stupid kid can order from China, so he can fool around blinding people in cars? No thank you. I don't want my lasers taken away like in Australia. What I want is a barrier to entry that keeps the riff-raff out.

Yeah, I kind of agree with you Bionic. I personally think it is 100% logical that a laser could cause an aircraft to crash. But a bunch of people on the thread said they want it tested.

If you ask a 10 year old if a high powered laser could blind someone, he's probably say yes. If you asked him if a blind person could fly a plane, he'd probably say no. If you ask him if a disoriented, confused, night-time-vision-thrown-off person could fly one, he'd probably say no. People don't need Myth Busters to tell them this.

A lot of these people are trying to pull a prank, if the mythbusters say "People doing this ended up with years in jail and thousands of dollars in fines," pranksters would think twice. If it is busted (which I would HIGHLY doubt), then it actually is okay.

In my honest opinion, there is no way this will get busted, even if it is tested. If you guys want me to, I can remove the link. I was just trying to help out.

it's already been tested... on the news. it shows a laser being pointed at the ground from an aerial view. the dot has diverged enough that there is no way in hell that it can blind someone. It's like looking at a flashlight from a football field away. It's a light in the dark. o, and best of all, they are looking at it on a TV screen inside the cockpit.... the camera is what is really looking at the laser.

i  reckon they should but alot of idiots watch the mythbusters and they'd get ideas.

has frothy met the mythbusters. someone on LPF should try get on the show!

Yes I have met the mythbusters. In fact, I'll be seeing them on October 11th.

mikeeey said:

it's already been tested... on the news. it shows a laser being pointed at the ground from an aerial view. the dot has diverged enough that there is no way in hell that it can blind someone. It's like looking at a flashlight from a football field away. It's a light in the dark. o, and best of all, they are looking at it on a TV screen inside the cockpit.... the camera is what is really looking at the laser.

Click to expand...

The news was no doubt using some low powered 1mW red pointer. Some you can barely see on projector screens. However, even a cheap "5mw" green has enough throw to be seen across relatively long distances, especially after ones eyes have become accustomed to the dark. I remember my 5mW green pointer's dot being clearly visible on buildings 200m away. Now think of some cheapo 30mW laser pointer, the kind you can see the beam of at night when you're outside. I think they cost $20 or something right? That's $10 less than I paid for that old 5mW one. Cheap as dirt. They don't have to blind you, they merely have to throw your night vision off or force you to look away at the wrong moment. Imagine driving a car at night and being blasted by a short pulse of green. You turn away for a fraction of a second to avoid the light, and forget to make that turn. It's not about going blind.

Jets also don't use cameras for their cockpit, or at least not for the main view. Even in jet fighters the head-up display is merely projected in front of the person's view, not overlaid a video feed.

I vote No for other reasons, but the copycat reason is included.  Now, although Mythbusters is a great show, it's still considered media, therefore, they are limited in the amount of truth that they can broadcast.  What I mean is, imagine if the breathalyzer test was confirmed that it could be fooled, then everybody will know how to fake it.  So, of coarse the myth that it can be fooled will be busted, even if there is a way.  Anything's possible, right?  ;D  (It was funny as heck to see them both drunk btw!) So, I guarantee you that the myth that lasers can and do distract pilots and potentially harm their eyes will be confirmed, because if it was busted, then everybody will be shining their lasers at aircrafts because there’s no harm in it.  Plus, it’s very dangerous territory when a law is challenged, so to prove that the law is justified is their only safe ground. Anyway, you have to have serious lack of common sense to shine a laser at an aircraft anyway, and getting thrown in jail might be better (and a wake up call) then what other STUPID things people of that judgment could do.

But, it would be good to let the idiots know the Consequences to hopefully limit future cases.