Getting back to the subject at hand, I can definately agree with you, Lukipela.  It is dangerous to have the entirity of a species in one small location (one planet being small as opposed to a galaxy).  It would be a wise, and very likely even a necessary step in our advancement for humanity to take to the stars.

I was just reading throught this particular discussion and I would have to agree...with both of you.  A standard comsumer-styled microwave oven can be used as a weapon...but  only after minor modifications.  Such modifications would be removing the glass as well as disabling the circutry that controls the cracked-glass detector.  It would also require a wave guide to propperly direct the radiation output.  This, of course, creates a problem, since wave guides generally run about $1000 per linear foot and are exceptionally fragile.  This is, however, highly impracticle.

I believe this argument started with saying that there were several technological innovations that did not lead to the development of weapons or origionally come from weapon development.  This is only partially true as most technological advancements came from people poking into advanced technology.  Due to our races ingrained war-like tendencies, a good 90% of our technological advances are origionally plotted from military useage, but not necessarilly as weapons.

Also, just as an afterthought, the mention of needing a diesle-powered battleship to power a radar is, of course, talking about old-school technology.  As our technology advances, we find ways to make things more powerful and smaller.  It's called Micronization.  Now, I'm not saying that we currently possess the ability to make a directed microwave cannon small enough to be man-portable, but I do recongnize that, in all likelyhood, we will be able to sometime in the next 15-25 years.  That's not all that far away in the grand scheam of things.

Edit:  Spelling corrections...