A Laser Update

A year ago, 4/23/12, I authored the blog, A New Old Use for Lasers, in which I discussed current and past uses for lasers. The focus of the piece was Ronald Reagan’s Star Wars Defense System and a laser system that could deflect meteors.

Courtesy Google Images

Consider this blog an update. On Monday, 4/8/13, the United States Navy tested a ship mounted laser; a laser so powerful that it can set a flying drone on fire.

According to USNews.nbcnews.com the laser system, Laser Weapons System (LaWS), will be deployed on the USS Ponce and operational by the summer of 2014. Initially, the LaWS will be used to combat small boats that pose a threat to larger U.S. Navy ships – much like the small Iranian fast boats that pester U.S. ships in the Persian Gulf.

Courtesy Google Images

The LaWS would fit into the military’s vision of a leaner, quicker and cheaper to deploy fighting force. It doesn’t need propellants, can keep firing as long as there is a power source and a shot of directed energy costs about $1. Gizmag.com reports that the Navy envisions the LaWS being used for precision and covert engagements.

The test firing on April 8th seems to have been a success. The LaWS was fired from a moving ship at a moving target drone causing the drone to catch fire. Granted, a drone is not a missile or jet plane but it’s still a moving target.

In my April 2012 post, I asked if you thought if lasers used to deflect space rocks could also deflect missiles. I think the Navy has answered my question in a fashion. I think that by downing a flying drone they’ve taken a step toward the destruction of missiles via a laser.

The Lost Script

I’m a fan of Star Trek, especially the original series, which aired from 1966 to 1969 on NBC.

Forty plus years ago, when I was in seventh or eighth grade, I read a book about the origins of the original Star Trek series. Sadly, I do not recall the name of the text nor do I remember the author’s moniker. I do remember it was a paperback with a dark cover. Some of the book’s details have stayed with me.

Here are a few things of interest that I recall:

· The US Navy was intrigued by the layout of the Enterprise’s bridge and its potential use aboard US warships.
· During filming of the show at Desilu Studios, the use of the bathroom was prohibited because the sound of the toilet flushing got picked up by microphones.
· Gene Roddenberry presented the Star Trek concept to CBS prior to NBC. Supposedly, after completing his pitch, CBS told him no thank you because they were planning a space show of their own, Lost in Space. Reportedly, Roddenberry became upset when CBS used some of his Star Trek ideas in Lost in Space.

Interestingly, CBS Studios, Inc owns the rights to the Star Trek franchise.

I found out that a new version of the 1960s series persists. Original episodes of Star Trek featuring Kirk, Spock, et al are available at phase2trek.com (Star Trek Phase II). The crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 is played by amateur actors. Everything Star Trek is protected by copyright but CBS Studios, Inc allows the Star Trek Phase II site to exist because there is no profit derived from the material presented on the site.

Star Trek Phase II has some pedigree. Episodes have been written by the likes of Dorothy Fontana, a television writer since 1960 and former story editor for Star Trek. Some episodes have even featured appearances from original cast members.

But, CBS strikes. According to Thomas Vinciguerra of The New York Times, CBS squashed the use of a previously unused Star Trek script, “He Walked Among Us”, written by Norman Spinrad. Spinrad had donated his copy of the script to California State University, Fullerton.

The folks at Star Trek Phase II learned of the script and planned to run with it. CBS invoked their proprietary rights and squashed production of the script. J. Alec West of Star Trek Phase II wrote that, “Since Star Trek is a CBS/Paramount property, Phase II has agreed not to shoot it.”

Maybe CBS has plans for the script. Could it be used as the basis for a new Star Trek movie? I can only hope.
Does anyone want to see “He Walked Among Us” on the big screen?

Fact or Fiction - It's Still Interesting

When I was a kid, there were all manner of stories about Nazi war criminals. In some tales, they evaded capture by living in obscurity in a South American country or incognito in some out-of-the-way place, plotting to rejuvenate the Nazi dream or just rotten people leading lives of ill repute.

For example, in Marathon Man, Sir Laurence Olivier plays a former Nazi SS (Schutzstaffel) dentist who tortures Dustin Hoffman’s character by yanking his teeth and tickling the exposed nerves. The Boys from Brazil tells a fictionalized account of Dr. Josef Mengele’s attempts to resurrect Adolf Hitler and establish a Fourth Reich.

In doing some research for a short story, I came across a bit of conspiracy theory from World War II regarding Nazi Germany and Antarctica. There was a belief that the Nazis had established a secret base in Antarctica and they were conducting research to develop advanced propulsions, well after WWII ended.

Scribd reports that at the end of WWII, the last two Nazi u-boats to surrender didn’t arrive in Argentina until August, 1945—the Germans had surrendered in May, 1945. Conspiracy theorists contended the u-boats had made a stop at the secret Antarctica base to offload treasure. The belief that a base existed was further bolstered when “in the southern summer of 1946-1947, the US Navy appeared to ‘invade’ Antarctica using a large force.”

I’m a fan of conspiracy theories. It’s fun to look at things from a “what if” perspective and my curiosity has been peaked regarding an Antarctic Nazi presence. I’m going to investigate these rumors some more and report back in a future blog.

What do you think? Is there a Nazi treasure lying beneath the Antarctic surface?