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Student designs 40W laser death ray, blows people's minds (+video)

A young man with an interest in electronics has become an internet sensation after developing a 40-watt "laser shotgun" in his garage.

A young man has built a laser in his garage which is 8000 times more powerful than a store-bought laser pointer.

In a video posted to Reddit, YouTube user Styropyro demonstrates his creation, which is able to pop balloons, as well as ignite wood, paper and flammable liquids in a fraction of a second.

He states in the video that while it was legal for him to build, there is "no, no good reason" for anyone to own one.

The eight 5W lasers mounted on the device produce 40W of power in total.

A typical laser pointer used for presentations is about 0.005 watts - the laser shotgun is 8000 times more powerful.

The most powerful laser pointers currently available online are rated up to 3W each and come with stern safety warnings.

The device would easily permanently blind a person without eye protection before they had a chance to blink.

Commenters on Reddit have remarked that the young man is likely to receive a visit from either police of DARPA - the US agency responsible for developing military weapons.

In comments, he reveals that he is a 22-year-old college student studying a triple major in chemistry, physics, and math.