Watching the invention of gunpowder?

Now this is a problem solver.

Grumman recently tested an electronic laser system that combines small silicon-based lasers into one more powerful beam, much like the Death Star. 100 kilowatts (kW) is generally considered the threshold for a useful weapons grade laser, and the most recent test only hit 30 kW. Since the weapon is built simply by chaining smaller lasers together,it will be able to quickly scale up its power by the end of the year, according to Grumman.

These new electric lasers have replaced traditional chemical lasers, which are bulky and require noxious gases to generate their high-powered beams. The size and danger of these systems has rendered them impractical for most military situations.