I swear we’ve mentioned it here on the SDMB, but I couldn’t find the cite. Basic plot is an inventor creates a laser pistol anyone can build with commonly available tools and materials. He’s hauled before a congressional committee to testify about it, and the kicker is he deliberately uses the live broadcast to disseminate the instructions, so the genie’s out of the bottle. I’d like to read the full story if I can find it.
I dunno, but please don’t fire Amazin’ Laser at the President.
“Committee of the Whole” by Frank Herbert. Here’s the wiki article about it Committee of the Whole (short story) - Wikipedia; it’s in “The Worlds of Frank Herbert” which is a nice collection of his stories.
Came in to add this . Don’t agree with the premise though
Thanks again Andy L!
For one thing, they don’t say what about the flat-out psychos.
Glad to help. Looks like both of us got the link messed up - let me try again
ETA: It worked!
PS. Here’s a list of all the places the story can be found - looks like I have two books with the story http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/title.cgi?52451
Gist of the idea goes back to at least 1940, with Heinlein and “Let there be light.”
Damn, beat me to it! Usually, I don’t know the answer to these questions, but this one, I remember well, and have the collection.
It seems to me that Frank Herbert was a very, very good story writer, but that his novels tended to be…um… Not as good…
This particular story was certainly thought-provoking!