Phaser is also the name of a fictional weapon in the Star Trek universe. It's a phased array pulsed energy projectile weapon that ranges in size from small arms to starship-mounted weaponry. The word "phaser" is an acronym for "phased energy rectification".
A phaser weapon is not fictional. It is basically laser technology using amplified sound waves, instead of light waves. Been around since the 1960's. The "ph" in PHaser represents "phonon" (sound wave-particle) instead of the "L" (stands for light) in Laser.
Of course, the idea of the Star Trek phaser is fictional, but the technology it is based on is not. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonon
"Set phasers to stun"
Star Trek warned us.
But what say the Simpsons?
A phaser weapon is not fictional. It is basically laser technology using amplified sound waves, instead of light waves. Been around since the 1960's. The "ph" in PHaser represents "phonon" (sound wave-particle) instead of the "L" (stands for light) in Laser.
Of course, the idea of the Star Trek phaser is fictional, but the technology it is based on is not.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phonon