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storyyeller More like giant cherries from Appleloosa Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: RelationshipOutOfBoundsException: 1
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#26: Mar 22nd 2011 at 12:20:51 PM

You could do the same thing with a regular gun by adjusting the amount of propellant used.

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FrodoGoofballCoTV from Colorado, USA Since: Jan, 2001
#27: Mar 22nd 2011 at 12:23:46 PM

I have a couple of concerns:

  • The utility of a traditional firearm comes from the fact a large amount of kinetic energy is contained in a small volume, creating a near - ideal combination of penetration and stopping power in the same round. The density of the fluid in a bupple - wand gun is much lower, reducing the effect of the round impact. However, it might be an interesting way to deliver a chemical weapon into the body, so it could be used as a stun weapon if the result of the reaction somehow ended up being a fast - acting tranquilizer...
  • The three - trigger system may be fine for larger scale weapons but for small arms in the heat of battle it might prove unpopular as it would reduce the rate of fire available. Of course, you could have multiple trigger options available.
  • The lower density will cause the rounds to be slowed much more rapidly in an atmosphere than a conventional bullet. At ranges beyond point blank, the rounds will be harmless, assuming the bubble survives the G-forces.

So here's a thought:

  • The bubble gun system could be an effective crowd control device as a substitute for rubber bullets. The low density reduces penetration, reducing the possibility the round will penetrate such things as spacecraft walls. If the gas that inflates the bubble from a traditional rubber bullet into a mini-punching bag is the same as the gas used for thrust, it simplifies the design and ammo requirements. The round might be adjustable electronically somehow so that it only reaches maximum inflation near the target to minimize rounds falling short because of drag. However, unless you truly don't care about the survivability of whatever you're shooting at, you'll want to use a gas that's not particularly dangerous.

edited 22nd Mar '11 12:24:23 PM by FrodoGoofballCoTV

Pyroninja42 Forum Villain from the War Room Since: Jan, 2011
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#28: Mar 22nd 2011 at 12:25:59 PM

The Vacuum effect would occur both in space and on a planet's surface. Space is essentially something trying to fill itself, and air is more than happy to oblige. Furthermore, the weapon would have to be tweaked for both altitude and how many atmospheres of pressure there are at sea level on that world, etc.

How about this: "Watenium" is a material that can easily reach a plasma state. Once heated and pressurized, the plasma is released (it's not very hot plasma) and dispersed in a "straight" line, contained by a some-how directed magnetic field. Once close to the target, a hell of a lot of positive electric charge is introduced to the negatively-charged plasma-line, causing a massive (or however much you need) bolt of electricity to hit the target. Yes, it's a lightning gun. It would (probably not) work because plasma conducts electricity extraordinarily well.

edited 22nd Mar '11 12:27:27 PM by Pyroninja42

"Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person that doesn't get it."
RTaco Since: Jul, 2009
#29: Mar 22nd 2011 at 12:39:45 PM

Perhaps adjusting the mass of the projectile instead? Some kind of substance that could be packed into the bubble, but getting denser with each "pump" instead of adding volume?

@ Yej: Huh. The way I understood it was that it'd take the signal 4 years to get here, and instantly popping over there would make the traveler show up 4 years after it was first sent. This isn't the case?

edited 22nd Mar '11 2:37:50 PM by RTaco

MattII Since: Sep, 2009
#30: Mar 22nd 2011 at 9:49:20 PM

How about this: "Watenium" is a material that can easily reach a plasma state. Once heated and pressurized, the plasma is released (it's not very hot plasma) and dispersed in a "straight" line, contained by a some-how directed magnetic field. Once close to the target, a hell of a lot of positive electric charge is introduced to the negatively-charged plasma-line, causing a massive (or however much you need) bolt of electricity to hit the target. Yes, it's a lightning gun. It would (probably not) work because plasma conducts electricity extraordinarily well.
Great, now you have a weapon that is heavy, complicated (both to manufacture and to use), can't be 'silenced', drops energy badly at range (the plasma will radiate energy away as light), won't be any more dangerous to the enemy that a simpler, cheaper conventional weapon and will be significantly more hazardous to the user than a conventional weapon, oh, and it's now vulnerable to EMPs as well. Probably its only advantage in fact will be not having to carry a lot of spare ammunition. Muskets made of solid gold would be more viable.

edited 22nd Mar '11 10:05:48 PM by MattII

storyyeller More like giant cherries from Appleloosa Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: RelationshipOutOfBoundsException: 1
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#31: Mar 23rd 2011 at 1:02:53 PM

^^ In relativity, there is no absolute notion of time or distance. You can only meaningfully talk about time and space in the context of a particular frame of reference.

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Yej (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: They can't hide forever. We've got satellites.
#32: Mar 23rd 2011 at 1:45:00 PM

[up][up][up] "4 years after it was first sent" would be equivalent to traveling at exactly lightspeed, not infinitely fast.

RTaco Since: Jul, 2009
#33: Mar 23rd 2011 at 6:58:37 PM

It would only be equivalent to lightspeed if you started moving when they first sent it, not when you recieved it 4 years later.

edited 23rd Mar '11 7:01:59 PM by RTaco

storyyeller More like giant cherries from Appleloosa Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: RelationshipOutOfBoundsException: 1
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#34: Mar 25th 2011 at 2:36:27 PM

It will be four years later by your clock, but by the clock of the people who sent the signal, it can be anywhere from 0 to 4 years later.

Remember, there's no absolute notion of time in relativity.

edited 25th Mar '11 2:50:16 PM by storyyeller

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Yej (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: They can't hide forever. We've got satellites.
#35: Mar 25th 2011 at 2:43:55 PM

You can't arrive as the signal is sent without FTL, if you launch because of the signal. You could only do that if you set out, by coincidence, 4 years before the signal arrives at your starting position.

I don't suppose we could get a lightcone diagram? My brain hurts. tongue

edited 25th Mar '11 2:45:21 PM by Yej

storyyeller More like giant cherries from Appleloosa Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: RelationshipOutOfBoundsException: 1
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#36: Mar 25th 2011 at 2:47:59 PM

You can't arrive exactly as the signal is sent, but you could arrive any positive amount of time afterwards. You could arrive a microsecond after the signal was sent, if the relative velocity is high enough.

edited 25th Mar '11 2:51:02 PM by storyyeller

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Yej (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: They can't hide forever. We've got satellites.
#37: Mar 25th 2011 at 2:52:04 PM

From your perspective, presumably?

storyyeller More like giant cherries from Appleloosa Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: RelationshipOutOfBoundsException: 1
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#38: Mar 25th 2011 at 3:47:36 PM

No, from their perspective. I thought we were working off the assumption that you teleport yourself instantly, after exactly four years from your perspective.

So it's four years for you and anywhere from 0-4 years for them.

edited 25th Mar '11 3:48:12 PM by storyyeller

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RTaco Since: Jul, 2009
#39: Mar 26th 2011 at 8:13:51 AM

To clarify, I mean you would be four years late from their perspective. You use the instant-travel as soon as the signal gets to Earth, and you get there four years after it was sent. I'm not saying you leave right after they first send it.

storyyeller More like giant cherries from Appleloosa Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: RelationshipOutOfBoundsException: 1
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#40: Mar 26th 2011 at 8:24:07 AM

^ That's the scenario I was talking about also. You arrive four years later from your perspective, and anywhere from 0 to 4 years later by their perspective.

Remember, in relativity, different observers will see time pass at different rates.

edited 26th Mar '11 8:26:39 AM by storyyeller

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Yej (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: They can't hide forever. We've got satellites.
#41: Mar 26th 2011 at 10:57:11 AM

If you make the jump exactly four years after the signal reaches you, you will arrive, from their perspective, immediately after the signal was sent.

storyyeller More like giant cherries from Appleloosa Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: RelationshipOutOfBoundsException: 1
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#42: Mar 26th 2011 at 11:08:52 AM

No, you've got it backwards there.

edited 26th Mar '11 11:09:22 AM by storyyeller

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Yej (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: They can't hide forever. We've got satellites.
#43: Mar 26th 2011 at 11:20:25 AM

Do I? I was assuming the jump was FTL, and so took you back the four years you've...

Oh, right. Yes. If you make the jump immediately as the signal reaches you, you will arrive, from their perspective, immediately after their sending the signal.

...I think. I also think we need a diagram. tongue

storyyeller More like giant cherries from Appleloosa Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: RelationshipOutOfBoundsException: 1
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#44: Mar 26th 2011 at 1:47:38 PM

^ Actually, that's the one thing that is impossible. You may arrive at any time after they send the signal, but it's impossible to arrive exactly as they send the signal.

I'd draw a diagram if I knew how to post pictures here.

edited 26th Mar '11 1:48:17 PM by storyyeller

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Yej (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: They can't hide forever. We've got satellites.
#45: Mar 26th 2011 at 1:53:57 PM

Obviously, this is with colloquial tolerances on "immediately." Since no clock is infinitely accurate, they may well record you arriving before they sent the signal.

(And the image uploader is your friend. Stick the URL here and it auto-embeds.)

RTaco Since: Jul, 2009
#46: Mar 26th 2011 at 5:29:34 PM

If you jump when the signal reaches you, then you'll get there four years after they first sent it.

storyyeller More like giant cherries from Appleloosa Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: RelationshipOutOfBoundsException: 1
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#47: Mar 26th 2011 at 6:27:46 PM

From your point of view. But not necessarily from theirs.

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MHD Since: Jun, 2009
#48: Mar 26th 2011 at 8:14:03 PM

Instead of the horribly convulted "Air bullet" (which will NOT work in any version of our current understadning of liquid flow physics) why not just have every weapon be a rail/gauss weapon?

RTaco Since: Jul, 2009
#49: Mar 27th 2011 at 8:11:52 AM

^^ The important part of the Pulsor Rifle isn't the air bullet (which I've ditched) but the adjustable power. The thing is meant to be a non-lethal weapon, but due to the variety of sapient species in the setting what will barely hurt one guy can be lethal to another. After thinking about it some more, I've come up with (yet another) revision, this one being rather low-tech:

Instead of controlling the evaporation, the ultra-dense material (be it Watenium or a real-world substance) just continually evaporates inside a chamber. There's a valve on the weapon that can be adjusted to let the gas leak out at different speeds (or not at all), so that the amount of pressure that builds up can be controlled. This lets the user determine how much force the projectile (which is solid) is fired with.

edited 27th Mar '11 8:13:03 AM by RTaco

Yej (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: They can't hide forever. We've got satellites.
#50: Mar 27th 2011 at 8:46:53 AM

Evaporation inside a closed container will increase the vapor pressure inside that container. Increasing vapor pressure will then increase the transition temperatures of everything in the container.

No matter what, it'll stop evaporating at some point, and you can't put any more power behind the projectile that way.

edited 27th Mar '11 8:55:21 AM by Yej


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