Seattle Scientists Developing Mosquito Laser Gun With Target Lock

[DannyR]

Perhaps they can reprogram the laser to only shoot off part of the mosquito's left wing? Then it will continuously fly in circles to the left, and die of excessive liberalism.

They are blood sucking parasites. Did you really need any more proof?

[Immanuel]

Indeed. A million a night? If you over-kill the mosquitos, certain species will lose their main food source. There are always repercussions when you mess with nature.

Friggin' environmentalists! Care more about mosquitoes than human beings... there ought be a law against them.

Immie

j/k Abbey

[PostmodernProphet]

Friggin' environmentalists! Care more about mosquitoes than human beings... there ought be a law against them.

Immie

j/k Abbey

Wait a minute...aren't WE the mosquito's main food source?....

[Mr. P]

THIS ROCKS!

Scientists in Seattle are making a laser gun that can lock on to moving targets. The laser gun is intended to go after mosquitoes, especially those that are carrying malaria. .

Rocks alright...maybe a box of rocks...I think this proves there are NO Scientists in Seattle. Liberals yes, but why would a liberal wanna kill a sceeeter?
Where are the bug huggers when ya need em?

[DannyR]

Ummm... I think you've all been had here.

What is the likelihood the original author wrote this for The Onion?

It certainly sounds like an Onion story, but its been picked up by major newspapers.

Here is a Wall Street Journal link:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123680870885500701.html

Now a really cool story will be when they mount the lasers on the mosquitoes. That might make an interesting home defense system!

[Little-Acorn]

It certainly sounds like an Onion story, but its been picked up by major newspapers.

There's a sucker born every minute. And, clearly, many of them work for newspapers.

Has nobody stopped to consider the unlikelihood (is that a word?) of a laser that can shoot the wings on a moving target the size of a mosquito, that won't also toast the rest of the bug? And NOT harm anything else that might be around... like the eyeballs of the guy a few feet or yards downrange, that the skeeters were swarming around?

The people publishing this article, have been had. It's definitely Onion material.

[glockmail]

Indeed. A million a night? If you over-kill the mosquitos, certain species will lose their main food source. There are always repercussions when you mess with nature.

The wings aren't the food source.

[glockmail]

...
Has nobody stopped to consider the unlikelihood (is that a word?) of a laser that can shoot the wings on a moving target the size of a mosquito, that won't also toast the rest of the bug? And NOT harm anything else that might be around... like the eyeballs of the guy a few feet or yards downrange, that the skeeters were swarming around?

....

Since the wings are thin and have very little moisture they would be the first thing to burn off by a relatively weak laser. If the unit can recognize then follow an insect it could be easily programmed to avoid larger creatures.

[Abbey Marie]

The wings aren't the food source.

And you know this how?

[Trinity]

I can hear my 10 year old now...........Mom mom buy me a mosquito killing laser..............the next evening the child is in the yard blasting everything with wings........... die sucker die!

[glockmail]

And you know this how?

Based on the relative weight of the wing and what they are made of: chitin. Basically cellophane.

[Trinity]

So I ran this whole mosquitoes laser thing by my 10 year old............he says, what? I said you shoot and kill mosquitoes with it, it is a laser gun...........needless to say he gets a big old grin on his face and said, where let me see it! Can we get a pic?

[Classact]

Here in Puerto Rico mosquitoes are a problem year round but I use a low tech solution... first remove all breading areas, like wet leaves or standing water containers and then encourage breading areas for my local gecko population that loves mosquitoes as much as I love porterhouse steak... I've made several incubators for gecko's to lay their eggs in from scrap PVC tubes and the gecko population has doubled at least.

I don't think a mechanical system is practical because as I pointed out earlier they breed over such a large area... I think the absolute best method would be to build shelters for bats if you truely want to reduce the mosquito population as a whole because of their ability to accomplish the same result as the invention mentioned. If mosquitoes carry disease then only one has to bite you so in that case the only sure thing to prevent that is chemical spray that reacts to similar motion detection.