cradle_curdled on 10/1/2007 at 17:31
Is there any evidence -- scientific, medical or anecdotal -- that a human being or animal could be rendered unconscious by an electromagnetic pulse?
Freaks me out that the Spy Drone is so powerful in IW. I know nothing about real-life weapons (although I read a little on shock prods and speculative EMP weaponry over at howstuffworks.com). Regardless, I'd assume that the most likely symptoms of an EMP attack would be temporary incapacitation (limbs flailing, etc.) and possibly a bad burn or electrocution if the assailant got too heavy with the voltage.
But unconsciousness? The body and brain themselves use electrical signals to aid movement, don't they? Electricity is how they revive the unconscious...
The Spy Drone and EMP grenades in the original didn't knock people out (although, of course, repeated riot-prodding did). In IW, the description for the Level 3 Drone states that it "...delivers a maximum-damage, long-range EMP attack that stuns organic units when detonated."
That's fine, it seems to stun Alex's friends from Tarsus, the other biomodified agents. They do a little jig and get back to business shortly after, undamaged. Everyone else goes out like a light.
Jeshibu on 10/1/2007 at 19:48
Mayhaps because they have more health?
I don't think EMP pulses could knock out humans. For EMP to affect anything, it has to be a conductor. I could see the humans of the future -at least those in Deus Ex and IW- having at least some sort of wiring in their brain. The most likely candidates would be Navarre and Hermann.
Do EMP grenades damage them?
The rest of the biomodified/augmented people seem to be a bit too advanced for good old copper wiring (although their nanites could be killed, I suppose).
