"Anything is a weapon if you swing it right".
The discovery of electricity came hand-in-hand with the realization that it could be use to harm and kill living things. In 1745, with the invention of the Leyden Jar (the first type of capacitor ever developed, invented in the University of Leiden, Netherlands), high power electrical discharges became a possibility, and with them came numerous salon shows where these discharges would be used to electrocute birds, rats and other small animals. Thomas Edison used AC power to electrocute cats, dogs, a horse, and even a 3-ton elephant. He also created the first electric chair, which ran on DC power and almost set the person to be executed on fire (nowadays they are AC). As our knowledge of electricity expanded so did the uses to which this most versatile form of power has been put to.
My research on electromagnetic weapons does not have as its goal to produce actual weapons but rather to explore some of the very interesting possibilities that this field can have for the benefit of mankind. No Rail Gun, Coil Gun or LASER will ever substitute a firearm. There is more than enough firepower in even a small pistol to accomplish the goal it is intended for and making that pistol fire a projectile through electromagnetic means would only mean making it larger, heavier, more expensive and less practical. On the other hand, no chemical propulsion system will ever approach the velocities obtainable through electromagnetic means, and the possibilities for hypervelocity acceleration are endless: Materials synthesis, testing, welding, satellite and space station micro debris shield development, transportation, and others... Similarly, Electromagnetic Radiation Weapons may be used to disable communications and electrical devices without the need for casualty-causing explosives... With this in mind, here is a small sample of some of my research in the field to date...
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