How did the nuclear physicist, Jack Cover invented the Taser?
They were working on a nonlethal weapon, and then just got the idea after a book called “Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle” The name TASER is from that title. ============ An article covering the death of the inventor: http://www.macleans.ca/article.jsp?content=w0213127A Rick Smith, Taser International’s chief executive, described Cover as “one of the most influential inventors of modern times.” The Taser issues darts attached to wires that deliver electric shocks that temporarily subdue subjects. While the device has become a common tool for police officers, it is still controversial because it has been linked to a number of deaths. Smith says Cover, a one-time NASA scientist, began developing the Taser as a non-lethal weapon to combat the hijackings and riots that were happening in the 1960s. He derived its original name – TSER -from a fictional weapon in a favourite childhood book, “Tom Swift and His El
