What can I do to make this paper sound better?

[BLSmith2112 0]

I wrote this article and I need it to be a few pages longer but I don't know what else I can expand upon.

Quote[/b] ]

Late in the year 2005, a band of terrorists carrying rocket propelled grenades and machine guns had targeted a cruise ship that was sailing south of the coast of Somalia. However, these terrorists were not aware that this cruise ship had a weapon of it’s own. The weapon, known as the Long Range Acoustic Device (or LRAD), drove off the terrorists and became national news the very next day. This brought the LRAD into the national spotlight.

So what is the LRAD? It’s a non-lethal device that “shoots†a beam of sound in a specified direction. The sound is so loud that people drop whatever they were doing to cover their ears. The LRAD can also be used to save lives in emergency situations. There are a lot of uses for this type of technology actually, and I will go further into detail later on.

How does the LRAD work? I’d like to start by talking about how sound works in general. Sound is created by means of waves, like a drop of water into a pool essentially. Sound waves are more condensed in the center, and the waves spread further out in all directions from there. The LRAD works in exactly the opposite way, it was created to “shoot†sound waves at a very high volume, that wouldn’t spread out in all directions. It essentially can be called “laser-sound,†or as the department of defense likes to call it “The Sound of Force Protectionâ€. The sound waves generated by the LRAD only travel slightly outside of the beam and thus it greatly reduces the risk of accidental injury.

It’s uses vary greatly. It can be used to inflict pain on an individual in a crowd control situation, or it even can be used to direct someone’s voice over long distances. If a ship were stranded out at sea, a Coast Guard ship or helicopter could use this device to give them vital information they may need in order to survive. Some may argue, “Why not simply use a radio?†Well in a survival situation, the radio on a ship may be damaged beyond repair, cell phones may be dead, communication ties could be completely cut off.

The list uses for this device could go on forever. The police could give protestors a warning up to 300 meters away to not become violent or aggressive. The military could communicate with enemy combatants over large distances without risking the lives of soldiers in a closer conversation. Border patrolmen can warn illegal immigrants not to cross the border unless they wanted to face repercussions of the device. The LRAD could even make it to large festivals with thousands of people. Organizers can effectively communicate quickly to get whatever information relayed over to the proper people without disrupting the festivities.

The LRADs influence has grown significantly. It’s currently being used by United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, United States Army, and the United States Coast Guard. It’s also being sold to other countries like the United Kingdom, Italy, and Germany. It’s use mostly for military purposes, but a company in Germany creating these systems for large audiences in stadiums and concert halls for classical music festivals. The neat thing about using LRAD in public events like the concert halls in Germany, is that not only can they be used to provide the sound for the performance, but can quickly turn into a powerful crowd control device if the event becomes out of hand. In retrospect, it is also being currently used in Baghdad, Fallujah, and other regions of Iraq to keep insurgents at bay.

So if this device can be used for crowd control too, it has to be loud right? Well, the average person talks at around 60 decibels, and a lawn mower is about 90 decibels. A decibel is the unit we use to measure the intensity of sound. Around 120 decibels is when sound can begin to cause pain for many individuals. Standing behind a 747’s jet engine would be a good example of experiencing 120 decibels. That is why airplanes have such thick windows towards the outside of the aircraft. Some people could have a higher tolerance to sound and ultimately have a higher threshold of pain. This is why the LRAD can create pulses of sound at over 151 decibels. That’s louder than a rifle at close range!

Typically when people think sound, they would probably think that the larger the speaker, the louder the sound will be. This is because typical sound waves are created through the rapid motion of a large circular diaphragm inside of a speaker, the larger the diaphragm, the louder the sound possible. So the LRAD must be size of a football field right? Wrong actually. It’s actually only around 33 inches long and weighs in at about around 45 pounds. The LRAD manages to create such a large sound by using a brand new form of sound technology that relies on these things called “piezoelectric transducersâ€. Using these “piezoelectric transducers,†the LRAD manages to create this large amplitude of sound by converting actual electrical impulses from the air into sound. This process can get very complicated but essentially the sound amplifies itself and gets louder as it is carried through the air.

So what prompted the research and development of this device? A company called the American Technology Corporation (ATC) developed the LRAD after the attack on the USS Cole in the year 2000. The primary purpose of the machine was to be put on military ships to warn other ships coming in proximity to change their course be or be fired upon. If they continued to come closer to the military vessel, the ship could turn the LRAD up towards the painful 151 decibels and force them to turn around without actually having to use lethal force.

Carl Gruenler, the former vice president of the ATC says that being within 100 yards of the device is extremely painful, but its use should be limited to 300 yards to be effectively used. Gruenler now runs a company making a competing device against the LRAD. That device, Magnetic Acoustic Device (MAD) is a smaller version of the LRAD and could later be applied to home theatre and other domestic applications. People could watch television in their living rooms with this technology, and have their volumes cranked without disturbing someone sleeping in the other room. The LRAD is not capable of this since the sound levels in the device can cause permanent hearing defects if used improperly. Which leads to my next point.

Even though the new technology is not considered “lethalâ€, human rights and hearing specialists raise questions about this device. According to the National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, any sound over 90 decibels can damage a person’s hearing and if someone innocent was in the way of this beam of sound when it was going off, they could be partially deaf the rest of their lives. But as with any non-lethal device like tear-gas, stun-guns, or paintball guns, there is always some risk involved.

People wearing ear protection would be unaffected by this device and could essentially render this piece of equipment useless. Gruenler concedes that the device is powerful enough to cause permanent hearing damage, but that it is only meant to be used for a few seconds at a time. This technology can be a form of crowd control, but is still considered a weapon and could potentially kill people. Any “weaponâ€, lethal or non-lethal can potentially harm the innocent accidentally, and nothing is perfect. However, thanks to LRAD, we’re getting closer.

My thoughts:

Is it boring?

Is there too many facts in a row?

Does it relate enough?

Does it need more sources cited in the paper?

I want this paper to be.. a few pages longer but don't know where to take it, so it won't be off-topic but I haven't found anything interesting to add. If yall know anything about the LRAD that I could elaborate on, I'd appreciate it. I could add more personal opinion, or more quotes.. But... what do yall think?

[william1 0]

boring no , it's just terrifying . they were not happy with the taser to kill people by electrocution , now they want to let them deafly too

[BLSmith2112 0]

Presenting a conflict in this paper could make it 50% longer. That's okay. So if you are against this technology, speak out. I'd really appreciate some constructive and specific comments on how I can improve this. If you throw this into MSOffice, its around 4 pages. I need it to be at least 6. (This of course is D/S).

lol, my paper is terrifying?

[Shashman 0]

they were not happy with the taser to kill people by electrocution , now they want to let them deafly too

Since when do tazers kill?

The LRAD is a great invention. If the USS Cole had been equipped with it, the 17 sailors who died that day would still be here.

[william1 0]

they were not happy with the taser to kill people by electrocution , now they want to let them deafly too

Since when do tazers kill?

The LRAD is a great invention. If the USS Cole had been equipped with it, the 17 sailors who died that day would still be here.

since they were put in service , at least 150 cases have been reported by AI . it is used even in old people and children and of course it can be letal in persons with cardiac deseases , but they shot first and then ask of course.

[Turkmenbashi 0]

You said 'machine guns'.

OMG MMMAAACCHIIIINNNNEEEEEEEE GUUUNNNSSSSSSSSSS.

Assault rifle. Or military pattern rifle

[Shashman 0]

You said 'machine guns'.

OMG MMMAAACCHIIIINNNNEEEEEEEE GUUUNNNSSSSSSSSSS.

Assault rifle. Or military pattern rifle

Yeach, machine guns.

Not assault rifles or hunting rifles, but machine guns