An on-ship laser, that, for now, can shoot down drones (as demonstrated in this test video) and sink small boats for about $1 a blast will be deployed by the Navy for the first time in early 2014, it was announced yesterday. The chief of Naval Research says this will be “a big step forward to revolutionizing modern warfare with directed energy, just as gunpowder did in the era of knives and swords.” Some day in our lifetimes, warfare will take place entirely between drones and lasers and holograms and killer dolphins, freeing up humans to spend more time with their families and sex robots.
