that is entirely possible to do today
I vaguely recall in “Ringworld” by Larry Niven, the hero had a flashlight laser. He used it to illuminate things like a flashlight, but it could also be used as a weapon. In that mode the beam was strong enough to light fires and cut opponents and metal weapons in half.
Hmmm, I wonder how many younglings it could slice through…
nikola tesla did something crazy over 100 years ago.
Anyone here feel like we already have the sci-fi torches? It sure seems like that to me…
Read a story 45 or 50 years ago about a young man lost on a planetoid with a signaling laser that could be de-focused to be a flashlight.He was a young man on a planatoid with a creacher with tentacles however they were cut off by the laser device. A little fogy now.
chris