--- title: "Man Builds Gun That Shoots Masks Onto People’s Faces" description: "Over the course of the COVID pandemic, a growing consensus has emerged among researchers that masks are at least somewhat helpful — and perhaps quite effective — at suppressing the spread of the coronavirus. But in the United States, some have chafed at the idea of taking on a small inconvenience to help the public […]" date: "2020-08-17" modified: "2020-08-17" authors: - name: "Jon Christian" job_title: "Executive Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jonc" url: "https://futurism.com/neoscope/gun-shoots-masks-onto-faces" categories: - "Health & Medicine" - "Prosthetics and Devices" tags: - "coronavirus" - "covid-19" - "health" - "masks" --- # Man Builds Gun That Shoots Masks Onto People’s Faces ![Anti-maskers inspired YouTuber Allen Pan to create a whimsical gadget: a gun that fires masks directly onto its targets' faces.]() *\Image: Sufficiently Advanced / YouTube\* Over the course of the COVID pandemic, a growing consensus has emerged among researchers that masks are [at least somewhat helpful]() — and perhaps quite effective — at suppressing the spread of the coronavirus. But in the United States, [some have chafed]() at the idea of taking on a small inconvenience to help the public health effort. Anti-mask protests have [flared up nationwide](), some with [ugly racist undertones](). Many Americans have [thrown tantrums in public]() after being asked to wear masks in stores. And that's all been happening, of course, as the United States' COVID outbreak has become [one of the most severe in the world](). That's what inspired YouTuber Allen Pan to create a whimsical gadget: a gun that [fires masks directly onto its targets' faces](). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pa6BlJlrL-k Pan, a skilled craftsman who's made a name for himself building a variety of DIY [flamethrowers](), [plasma blades](), and [Spider-Man-style web shooters](), rigged up a pneumatic launcher to fire masks — from a grip that looks remarkably like a firearm. "This is not a world of fact anymore," he said in the video. "This is a world of opinion and emotion. And if there's one thing that coronavirus protesters actually care about, it's the Second Amendment. Guns." Pan fixed four magnets to the straps on the back of the mask so that they'd tangle together on impact, and added sticky strips to the inside of the mask's surface for even more adhesive power. First he tested it on a variety of mannequin heads. Then he tried it out on himself. And then he even headed to Huntington Beach, CA — a hotbed of anti-mask sentiment — to give the public a chance to try it out. ## Author I'm responsible for editing, assigning, and scouting at Futurism, as well as occasionally writing for the site. That work involves keeping an eye on a wide range of narratives and issues, but over the past few years I've become increasingly interested in how AI is shaping the future of media, the web, and information itself. My day-to-day often involves collaborating on reporting and commentary projects bylined by my colleagues, but I try to find time to do my own reporting as well; stories I've broken for Futurism have been cited by publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Wired, Ars Technica, New York Magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, and more. I grew up in Southern Vermont and attended Vanderbilt University. Prior to Futurism, I contributed to outlets including the Boston Globe, Vice, Wired, Slate, the Atlantic, the Outline, Ars Technica and more, and did stints in farming and food service. I currently live in Brooklyn, New York, and in my free time I enjoy pinball, word games, cycling, running, and music production. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()