In science fiction, an ion cannon is a beam weapon that fires beams of ions (atoms or molecules with an electrical charge). Due to its power, it is usually classified as a superweapon. An ion cannon is a type of particle cannon; only the particles used are ionized. Due to their electrical charges, they have the potential to disable electronic devices, vehicles, and anything else that has an electrical or similar power source. Because of their classification as super-weapons, ion cannons have found their way into movies and television shows that have a science-fiction based setting. Ion cannons are also present in several games: Homeworld, Homeworld 2, the Command & Conquer series, Unreal Tournament 2004, Ogame, Ratchet and Clank: Up Your Arsenal, and StarCraft, for example.
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Famous quotes containing the word cannon:
“We may say that feelings have two kinds of intensity. One is the intensity of the feeling itself, by which loud sounds are distinguished from faint ones, luminous colors from dark ones, highly chromatic colors from almost neutral tints, etc. The other is the intensity of consciousness that lays hold of the feeling, which makes the ticking of a watch actually heard infinitely more vivid than a cannon shot remembered to have been heard a few minutes ago.”
—Charles Sanders Peirce (1839–1914)