Scientists shoot down malaria-carrying mosquitoes with frickin' lasers
By Darren Murph 
posted March 15th 2009 10:22AM
posted March 15th 2009 10:22AM
[Via eHow]
posted March 15th 2009 10:22AM
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Why can't we get a laser to shoot down haters who bring the objects of their hate in to every discussion, no matter how unrelated?
I don't care if an iPhone bullied you as a kid, you need to get over it and move on, dude.
Karl, it was initially a reply to someone else. The facetious element was lost.
I'm picturing some guy pedaling his ass off on a stationary bike/generator to power this thing....and charge a couple of OLPCs
WE?
okay, a real thought here....
No info on how this laser is going to target mosquitoes with malaria. So we're just going to wipe out all mosquitoes and anything else this low power laser would effect. Is that such a good idea? And how exactly will you rid of all the mosquitoes already in said village? Who cares about the ones coming in when you've got a whole mess of them inside.
There's only one type of mosquito that carries malaria, there needs to be a solution that targets just this one mosquito, better yet, only the ones actually carrying malaria and not the entire population.
Even if someone were to actually role out this idea, the cost of the product would not come near anyone's ability to purchase let alone power and maintain the thing.
A cool piece of gadgetry no doubt, but there's no way this thing (or anything like it) will ever see the light of day.
A simple way how to get rid of mosquitos that are already in the village:
Start with a very small dome of the laser in the center of the village and then continuously enlarge it to the outer dimensions of the village.
Shouldn't this be listed under 'CrapGadgets'?
Wouldn't a net work just as well?
If by 'just as well' you actually mean 'much better, and without blinding anyone into the bargain' then the answer is yes.
Perhaps it will be in the market before Bill Gates throws another jar of mosquitos at me.
Yes, because he obviously released mosquitoes carrying malaria...
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Isn't that an image of a crane fly?
Alternatively, you could make the system only target mosquitoes, instead of just surrounding your village with a weak, tingly force field kind of thing. I think that's probably part of why they're talking with Teller, instead of anybody else who had a lot (a lot (a lot)) of lasers around, willing to build a gigantic grid of them.
Tron style!
Kill them all. Stupid bugs.
No way! Check out the Star Wars Mosquito Protection System by Groen brothers: [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSIWpFPkYrk]English[/url] or [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGkPMZxWPpA]Dutch[/url], the similarity is amazing.
I was just about to post this, its indeed exactly the same. Well maybe without the cat/house/planet settings on the laser :).
Rachel Carson is burning in hell right now.
Do these scientists understand that the reason malaria and mosquitoes is a problem in these poor countries, is because of a lack of sanitation?
How can technology and lasers help a society, which has stagnant water and garbage near where they live?
I don't know why, but the title of this post struck me as funny...
"architect of the original plan to use lasers to shield America from the rain of Soviet nuclear arms."
You can't hug a mosquito with nuclear arms!
I have one simple request and thats to have Fly Swaters with freaking laser beams attached to them honestly what do i pay you guys for throw me a bone here people.
Yeah!!! I want a palm size version to shoot down frickin wasps, like fry em in mid flight.
I can see it now, set to a wider path you could get a lot of them, think of it---the joy of
killing the little stingers and the other uses, like getting rid of flies by the zillions.
THE JOY!!!
My god, this is freakingshly resembling this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSIWpFPkYrk
As long as i get the laser after testing is done, I'm game for testing.
Is this what what proposed to be used with the SDI? IT would be good to explore this technology. We could probably use it to easily eradicate drug crops.
Another expensive piece of hardware drive up the price of drugs?? ...tell me, are you working for the drug cartels or the government?
looks like poor peter volunteered for those clinical trials...
damn reply button...
I dunno if I could get to sleep with all the noise... "PEW.. PEW PEW!!!"
Lasers are cool and I'm sure could be engineered to zap these nasty buggers, but why not just repeal the ban on DDT which has been proven to be the most effective control measure around and has been debunked as having any adverse effect on the environment, animals and humans.
If none of this interests you, you could always just sit back an watch a discovery channel special on your Samsung Televisions HDTV
in the comfort of your home and not worry about getting bit by these nefarious bloodsuckers.
The image doesn't show a mosquito it is a Tipulidae or Crane fly - larger and easier to hit.
A mosquito is less that half the size.
How the laser know the mosquitoes is carrying malaria ?? What if he's carrying candies ???
Shame that is not a mosquito on the front, it is a mosquito hawk.
I work at the Intellectual Ventures Lab where this system is being created. Just wanted to respond to a few points in the comments:
DDT is non-discriminatory. It does kill mosquitoes, but it harms lots of other life forms as well. Because of its abuse, there are bans and economic sanctions that prevent its use. Changing that is a political problem.
Using lasers, we don't expect to eradicate mosquitoes entirely, but they can be a way to help reduce their populations enough that malaria can't survive. In particular, the laser system can help create a perimeter to keep people safe.
As far as we know, there aren't any species that rely solely on mosquitoes as a food source.
Thanks, I will try to respond if there are further questions here.
Let's hope this team can direct their efforts toward rat eradication after they've dealt with the mosquitoes.
You all are going to want to shoot me with a laser, but how's this for the name of freakin' mosquito laser gun..... El Blastquito (C)2009