Lights out

There’s a series on NBC called “Revolution”, about a world without electricity. One day the laws of physics were changed and the lights all just blinked out.

And America becomes a ruined cityscape ruled by warlords. But it’s only fiction, right? Well, actually, no.

“We hit every target we wanted to, we prosecuted everyone. Today we made science-fiction science fact,” said Keith Coleman of Boeing’s Phantom Works.

Coleman is in charge of CHAMP, the Counter-intelligence High-powered Advanced Microwave missile Project, which passed its first field test last week.

Basically, it’s a non-lethal missile that attacks an enemy not by blowing up buildings, but using an intense micro-wave pulse that turns out the lights – and anything else that uses electricity – instantly.

A Boeing video of an earlier test on building full of desktop computers shows all of them are knocked out without any structural damage.

Tuesday over the Nevada desert, the actual missile was tested and worked as planned.

“When we fired, we took out everything on that. It was fantastic,” said Coleman.

The one thing that’s a little disturbing is that the video shows the missile plunging a modern skyline into complete darkness. But aren’t our enemies these days living in tents in the desert?