Humans are still throwing rocks....... (sale, Winchester, handgun, deer)
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As a observation only........
In my view anything that throws any sort of projectile can be classed as 'rock throwing' whereas anything that is NOT a projectile can be classed as an advancement in weaponry.
(1) I'd say explosives is qualitatively distinct enough a "weapon," as the physics by which it works is clearly different than those previous projectile weapons you previously described. (referring to the non-shrapnel damages caused by such explosives, as the shrapnel itself would simply be a variant of the kind of primitive projectile weapons you described)
(2) Also, LASERS, which while we may not currently use them for generic anti-personnel purposes a la science fiction literature, they can be used for offensive (and defensive) military or even personal purposes nonetheless. And the laser, like explosives, is qualitatively unique enough an invention in itself that I don't think one can say it's simply a variation of physical projectile weapons.
That's pretty much what I was going to say about explosives. This includes, by the way, nuclear and thermonuclear devices. They aren't "rocks."
I disagree - sort of - on the use of lasers. They're currently being used to "blind" opposing optics -- including the Mark I Mod 0 eyeball. In this application they're much more like mirrors and searchlights.
As a observation only........
In my view anything that throws any sort of projectile can be classed as 'rock throwing' whereas anything that is NOT a projectile can be classed as an advancement in weaponry.
Which is kind of broad, by that definition, lasers are not advanced weaponry, they throw out photons, same as Microwave ADS systems (which are just different energy state photons), rail guns when they work more than once, are also not advanced weaponry. Technically this definition of what advanced weaponry is not includes theoretical mass drivers (which actually are normally depicted as throwing rocks, but the rocks are also asteroids with cheap propulsion systems for orbital bombardment), plasma rifles, and conventional bombs and grenades ("thrown" from a aircraft/person). Similarly the LHC at CERN could be argued to be nothing more than throwing rocks, just very small rocks, at very high velocities.
At the same time, IED's and land mines are considered at least worthy of inclusion into advanced weaponry. As are most swords, axes, maces, flails.
Or the alternative is, does the residual kinetic energy of the projectile cause the injuries or death on impact? In which case we've moved quite a distance from throwing rocks, indeed we moved from just throwing rocks in the 9th century with the invention of gunpowder.
Last edited by Gungnir; 12-05-2011 at 04:09 PM..
Reason: removal of errant e
I want one of those Roger Rabbit guns that shoot around corners...
The Wehrmacht developed these successfully but never put them into production. Phil Sharpe discusses them in The Rifle in America. He had a chance to shoot them.
Last edited by Happy in Wyoming; 12-05-2011 at 06:17 PM..
How is shooting someone exactly like throwing a rock at them? Yeah, I know both bullets and rocks are projectiles when they're in the air, but a bullet will do more damage than a rock.
However, a rock will do more damage to a window than a bullet.
I've wondered for a very long time why no human has
ever invented a device to replace the gun since the gun
is, in an abstract way, just a machine to throw 'rocks' at a target.
First man threw rocks
then man threw spears
then man invented the bow & arrow the throw a smaller spear
then man invented the gun to throw a bullet (read rock)
then etc.
So you see that humans have not advanced very far from the first
human to throw a rock. All humans have done is improve the machines
to throw the 'rock' with. That said, there is not nor has ever been a
truely new 'weapon' ,at the personal level, in all of human history.
Humans still make war or hunt with a projectile (rock/spear) of some
type. Go figure............
Heh, better yet humans still depend on fire as much if not more today than they did 100,000 years ago. Every aspect of our civilization is dependent on combustion. We burn different stuff but we havent found a realistic replacement for combustion yet. We even use combustion to throw our rocks now!
I've wondered for a very long time why no human has
ever invented a device to replace the gun since the gun
is, in an abstract way, just a machine to throw 'rocks' at a target.
First man threw rocks
then man threw spears
then man invented the bow & arrow the throw a smaller spear
then man invented the gun to throw a bullet (read rock)
then etc.
So you see that humans have not advanced very far from the first
human to throw a rock. All humans have done is improve the machines
to throw the 'rock' with. That said, there is not nor has ever been a
truely new 'weapon' ,at the personal level, in all of human history.
Humans still make war or hunt with a projectile (rock/spear) of some
type. Go figure............
Good. There shouldn't be any new weaponry. Weapons have done nothing but cause pain on the Earth. All armies should be under the control of the U.N.
Good. There shouldn't be any new weaponry. Weapons have done nothing but cause pain on the Earth. All armies should be under the control of the U.N.
LMFAO big time. The UN should be dismantled as fast as possible. Useless outdated failure that it is. Was worth a try but it failed & we now often find the most atrocious despots in positions of authority in it.
Say what you will about weapons, but as weaponry increased in sophistication so did the human race, weapons allowed us to move from primate to where we are today more than any other single development. Might cause alot of pain, but they sure havent prevented us from expanding to cover the globe.
Yes, it is. But the poster doesn't now that it is.
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