No really!
<blockquote>LONDON, England -- Scientists in the U.S. are developing a laser gun that could kill millions of mosquitoes in minutes.
<p> The laser, which has been dubbed a "weapon of mosquito destruction" fires at mosquitoes once it detects the audio frequency created by the beating of its wings.</p><p> The laser beam then destroys the mosquito, burning it on the spot. </p><p> Developed by some of the astrophysicists involved in what was known as the "Star Wars" anti-missile programs during the Cold War, the project is meant to prevent the spread of malaria. </p><p> Lead scientist on the project, Dr. Jordin Kare, told CNN that the laser would be able to sweep an area and "toast millions of mosquitoes in a few minutes." </p><p> Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people from the bites of female mosquitoes. </p> <p> It is particularly prevalent in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world and kills an African child every 30 seconds, according to the World Health Organization. </p><p> There are an estimated 300 million acute cases of malaria each year globally, resulting in more than one million deaths, the WHO reports. </p><p> Responding to questions about any potential harm the laser could pose to the eco-system, Kare said: "There is no such thing as a good mosquito, there's nothing that feeds exclusively on them. No one would miss mosquitoes," he said. </p><p> "In any case," he added. "The laser is able to distinguish between mosquitoes that go after people and those that aren't dangerous." </p> <p> He added that other insects would not be affected by the laser's beam. </p><p> The research was commissioned by Intellectual Ventures, a Washington, U.S.-based company that was founded by Nathan Myhrvold, a former Microsoft Corporation executive. </p> His previous boss, Bill Gates, who funded the research, asked Myhrvold to look into new ways of combating malaria. </blockquote>