British Rail Networks


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British Rail Networks

British Rail Networks

In 1983 former President Ronald Reagan announced the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). The idea was to mount lasers onto satellites to shoot down incoming Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM's)launched by our enemies toward US soil. At the time, many people derided the project as "impractical" (Encarta, 2009). The idea received the nickname "Star Wars" because many people regarded it as unrealistic as the fictitious weapons from George Lucas' 1977 film (Crowley, 2005).

Whether critics' skepticism at the time was well-founded or not, the military is currently developing a similar weapon. According to Shaun McKeegan for the online publication GizMag, the team of Northrop Grumman, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin have successfully tested an Airborne Laser (ABL), which will be capable of destroying a missile carrying "chemical, biological, and nuclear warheads almost immediately after launch." The current system is mounted on a Boeing 747 instead of a satellite, and has already gone through successful tests.

Video Game Weapons Systems Become Military Weapons Systems

Another unlikely example of science-fiction- turned real is a projectile weapon called a "rail gun." In simple terms, the weapon uses electric current and magnetic rods to propel a bullet instead of traditional gunpowder (Sofge, 2008). Those familiar with popular first person-shooting video games such as Doom and Quake may have heard of such a concept. Rail guns were also the central theme for the sci-fi action film Eraser, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.