In the near future, US Navy ships won't use explosive cannons. They will destroy targets 100 miles away with the monster 33-megajoules railgun shown in this video. In the words of Rear Admiral Nevin P. Carr: This "really changes several games."

Sometimes, reality beats science fiction. This is one of them: The heart of the Soviet missile defense system looks like a building designed by Industrial Light & Magic. It's believed to be the most precise orbital tracking system in the world.