[Azred]

Originally posted by Spelca: I read in a Slovene newspaper that they are planning to use new kinds of weapons. Something that causes a great deal of pain, but doesn't kill (like a cannon or something).

There are devices which produce very directional high-frequency sounds that cause piercing headaches (useful for disabling people). The worst drawbacks seem to be a possiblity for piercing the ear drum.

There is a body of research to indicate that people have developed so-called "infrasonic" devices, although these should more correctly be called "sub-sonic" (since they are below our threshhold of hearing). This research finds lethal frequencies around 7 or 8 Hz, with a variety of other symptoms including destruction of internal organs, nausea, difficulty breathing, and possible epiltpic seizures (as certain frequencies interrupt the cyclic rythms of the brain). Unfortunately, sound is omnidirectional so this is not practical as a weapon--sound waves penetrate matter, preventing any defense (so the weapon user will suffer, also). This is not science fiction; it is science fact.