# Laser Pointers and Guided Bombs.

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-pointers-and-guided-bombs/88092
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [October 17, 2001, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-pointers-and-guided-bombs/88092 "2001-10-17T23:18:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![d12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/71c47a/32.png) [@d12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/d12)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2001, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-pointers-and-guided-bombs/88092/1 "2001-10-17T23:18:06Z")

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If the Taliban would aquire a flimsy $5 laser pointer and aimed it at say… A brick wall, would the bomb be confused as to which target (pilot designated or the pointer) to go for? Or am I just stupid?

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### Author: ![drillrod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@drillrod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drillrod)
#### Post date: [October 17, 2001, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-pointers-and-guided-bombs/88092/2 "2001-10-17T23:57:15Z")

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Wouldn’t work. Guidance lasers aren’t just laser pointers.  
When working as a forward observer using a laser, you pass a lot of info on the laser itself, including the frequency it’s working on.

The bomb guidance system is keyed to go after that specific frequency of laser splash.

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### Author: ![mack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mack)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2001, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-pointers-and-guided-bombs/88092/3 "2001-10-18T01:17:49Z")

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boy wouldn’t it be a drag if you were doing a big presentation with your fancy laser pointer and a laser-guided bomb got a little confused?

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### Author: ![ski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@ski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ski)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2001, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-pointers-and-guided-bombs/88092/4 "2001-10-18T03:52:01Z")

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The lasers used in laser-guided bombs aren’t visible, they’re infrared lasers. Now, if they were to come out with an infrared laser pointer… (how useless would that be?)

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### Author: ![Seraphim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ad7895/32.png) [@Seraphim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seraphim)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2001, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/laser-pointers-and-guided-bombs/88092/5 "2001-10-18T04:03:51Z")

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Then what horror would befall if the Taliban got their hands on [these](http://www.lasermate.com/module.html) babies?