The U.S. Navy has successfully invented a special electronic device that is designed to stop people from talking. A form of non-lethal weapon, the new electronic device effectively repeats a speaker's own voice back at them, and only them, while they attempt to talk.

It was developed, and patented back in 2019 but has only recently been discovered, according to a report by the New Scientist.

The main idea of the weapon is to disorientate a target so much that they will be unable to communicate effectively with other people.

Called acoustic hailing and disruption (AHAD), the weapon is able to record speech and instantly broadcast it at a target in milliseconds. Much like an annoying sibling, this action will disrupt the target's concentration, and, in theory, discourage them from continuing to speak.

It is important to note that the device is unlikely to be used on the battlefield anytime soon and will probably be used as a form of crowd control.