# Do we use classic "laser beams" in movies? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 23, 2009, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-use-classic-laser-beams-in-movies/497414 "2009-05-23T19:05:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![redshift](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bbce88/32.png) [@redshift](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redshift)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2009, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-use-classic-laser-beams-in-movies/497414/1 "2009-05-23T19:05:02Z")
Other than sequels and rehash of older series, do we still have the classic “pew pew” laser beams of the past, like Star Wars, Star Trek, Terminator? What recent movies (In the last 5 years or so) still uses the concept of visible flying laser bolts? Or have we moved away from that cliche with the advent of real laser weaponry? I remember Iron Man had a similar concept except it wasn’t lasers, but rather some other form of energy. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2009, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-use-classic-laser-beams-in-movies/497414/2 "2009-05-23T19:07:17Z")
We have real laser weaponry now? When did this happen? ---
**Author:** ![redshift](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bbce88/32.png) [@redshift](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redshift)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2009, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-use-classic-laser-beams-in-movies/497414/3 "2009-05-23T19:09:17Z")
> [@Terminus\_Est](#): > > We have real laser weaponry now? When did this happen? I’m pretty sure they’re testing/mounting directed laser weapons on aircraft now. A quick google got me: > **[World's First Laser Weapon Shoots Down Missile](https://www.spacedaily.com/news/laser-00g.html)** > > Redondo Beach - June 7, 2000 - TRW, the U.S. Army and the Israel Ministry of Defence (IMoD) have blazed a new trail in the history of defensive warfare by using the Army's Tactical High Energy Laser/Advanced Concept Technology Demonstrator... and > **[White Sands testing new laser weapon system](https://www.army.mil/article/16279/white-sands-testing-new-laser-weapon-system/)** > > White Sands Missile Range, N.M., is testing a new weapon system known as the Laser Centurion Demonstrator. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2009, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-use-classic-laser-beams-in-movies/497414/4 "2009-05-23T20:09:53Z")
Airborne laser: > **[Airborne Laser](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airborne_Laser)** > > An airborne laser (ABL) is a laser system operated from a flying platform, as in the: > Development of airborne lasers in the United States began with the Airborne Laser Laboratory (ALL) developed at the USAF Weapons Lab (AFWL), now known as Phillips Laboratory, in the late 1970's and early 1980's. The ALL was based on a carbon dioxide gas dynamic laser (GDL), operating at the infrared wavelength of 10.6 microns, and mounted on a modified Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker (NC-135). It was successfully te... [http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/military/abl/index.html](http://www.boeing.com/defense-space/military/abl/index.html) However: [Boeing’s Airborne Laser shot down by the DoD along with another sci-fi weapon](http://dvice.com/archives/2009/05/boeings-airborn.php) > [@](#): > > We’re never going to get to The Future at this rate. The Department of Defense is cutting two big sci-fi-ish projects in an effort to funnel its resources toward more practical research. Namely, both the Airborne Laser and the Multiple Kill Vehicle are getting scrapped. These programs are darn hard to kill though, so I wouldn’t totally count it out yet. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2009, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-use-classic-laser-beams-in-movies/497414/5 "2009-05-23T21:07:30Z")
How do you shoot down a laser? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2009, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-use-classic-laser-beams-in-movies/497414/6 "2009-05-23T21:25:46Z")
> [@](#): > > I remember Iron Man had a similar concept except it wasn’t lasers, but rather some other form of energy. Iron Man used bullets, which behave like bullets, and repulsor beams, which had very little visible effect at all, other than the projector glowing and the target flying back. ---
**Author:** ![redshift](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bbce88/32.png) [@redshift](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redshift)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2009, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-use-classic-laser-beams-in-movies/497414/7 "2009-05-23T21:37:41Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Iron Man used bullets, which behave like bullets, and repulsor beams, which had very little visible effect at all, other than the projector glowing and the target flying back. Ok the repulsor beams are what I’m talking about. But it seems like we don’t see much of these laser concepts anymore… have we finally given them up? ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2009, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-use-classic-laser-beams-in-movies/497414/8 "2009-05-23T21:54:06Z")
A throwaway line from the first Terminator film suggests the use of plasma weaponry. Throwing gooey hot plasma at people would have something visible and slower than light speed moving around wouldn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2009, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-use-classic-laser-beams-in-movies/497414/9 "2009-05-23T23:33:32Z")
> [@](#): > > Other than sequels and rehash of older series, do we still have the classic “pew pew” laser beams of the past, like Star Wars, Star Trek, Terminator? What recent I just saw the new **Star Trek** movie last night. It had phasers whose shots made noises, and there were visible flashes. On the other hands, something depositing a lot of energy in a small space will certainly cause bright flashes there and noisy explosions, even if the beam itself isn’t visible. And “Star Trek” probably falls into your definition of a “sequel”. People knew back when lasers first appeared in TV and the movies that the beams were silent and not visible from the side, but it wouldn’t have been as impressive, so they added gratuitous laser noises and visibility for drama, just as Roddenbery added that “swoosh” of the Enterprise in space. My suspicion is that they will continue to use scientifically unrealistic lasers for their gut dramatic appeal, just as they continue to use sound in space ( **2001** was a rare case of true space silence. **s010** tried to be accurate, but they cheated _plenty_ of times. Peter Hyams evidently doesn’t believe in the dramatic potential of silent space). ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2009, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-we-use-classic-laser-beams-in-movies/497414/10 "2009-05-23T23:45:04Z")
Chronicles of Riddick had a variety of energy weapons, and it’s just in the 5 year window. That said, it was a sequel to Pitch Black, but Pitch Black didn’t have any energy weapons (it was about the survivors from a crashed freighter, so they just might not have been carrying any of the pew pew guns with them). Wall-E I think had a few pew pew guns.