Sharks have pretty much become the most fascinating animal of our time. They’re feared, revered, and a little misunderstood. Between Jaws and Shark Week, you’ll find that most people either love or hate sharks. They’re the controversial celebrity of the animal kingdom. Movies have made them into monsters, villains, and the extreme accessories of villains. It’s made sharks, bigger, badder, and maybe a little more fascinating than they actually are. Sharks have been done to death, though. It’s high time they’ve been spiced up. They need something.

 

They need lasers. That’s right, the only thing more dangerous than a shark is a shark that’s been weaponized. The Legion of Doom and Dr. Evil proved it. Thanks to Wicked Lasers, a company based in Hong Kong that produces some of the most top notch handheld lasers in the world, laser-mounted sharks are now a reality. At the behest of their fans on Facebook they promised to mount some of their lasers onto a shark. Worry not, though, because the lasers themselves are fairly low powered. The laser is, in fact, the lowest-powered version of its S3 Krypton green laser. It was mounted with the help of marine biologist, Luke Tipple.

The laser was attached with non-invasive clips, ensuring that the shark was unharmed and generally unbothered by the laser itself. A fairly docile lemon shark was chosen to wear the laser and it was in very good hands. Tipple is known for his shark-handling and made the process a simple and safe one. While there aren’t too many scientific justifications for giving a shark a laser, even the most scholarly have to admit it looks cool. Sure, it's totally impractical for a shark that needs to sneak up to its prey, but it scratches an itch thriller fans have had for at least 30 years. Let's just hope sharks never get the hang of operating one.

 

Check out a slightly more science-minded approach at Wired!