79. TASER X26, 2003 Though Jules Verne wrote about a gun that shot electric bullets in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the Taser's name comes from another book, written by Victor Appleton in 1911, called Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle. Our senior acronym cryptologist broke down the name as follows: Thomas A. Swift's Electric Rifle, or Taser. The original Taser-like device was patented in 1972, but the gadget didn't really take off until the 1990s. Today, the Taser X26 is the nonlethal weapon of choice. Because it doesn't kill the target (usually), cops are pretty much free to use it on any type of perp, from the drug-addled Hell's Angel to the frightened but disruptive 6-year-old. Just remember: Tasers don't tase people, people tase people.
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Date: 2005-02-22 08:36 pm (UTC)Though Jules Verne wrote about a gun that shot electric bullets in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the Taser's name comes from another book, written by Victor Appleton in 1911, called Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle. Our senior acronym cryptologist broke down the name as follows: Thomas A. Swift's Electric Rifle, or Taser. The original Taser-like device was patented in 1972, but the gadget didn't really take off until the 1990s. Today, the Taser X26 is the nonlethal weapon of choice. Because it doesn't kill the target (usually), cops are pretty much free to use it on any type of perp, from the drug-addled Hell's Angel to the frightened but disruptive 6-year-old. Just remember: Tasers don't tase people, people tase people.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-02-22 08:40 pm (UTC)Is this really one of the most important gadgets ever? Signs point to yes.