Weren't traditional force fields based on the manipulation of kinetic energy?

That reminds me of a character I rolled up for the old Marvel Universe RPG. I made him up as a 4'-tall impish-looking fellow. Got lucky on the character generation roll and ended up with Energy Reflection. Of course, I had to pick a specific energy type for him to reflect.

I smiled at the GM and said, "Kinetic energy?"

Suffice it to say, the little runt eventually went toe-to-toe against The Juggernaught. They couldn't do crap to each other, but several city blocks got devastated.

Thanks everybody. I think I needed the feedback time just to get my head in the right place.

You're right, Rob. t's not so much the explanation, as the realism I'm hoping for. In truth, I'm actually just wanting to know what to call it so my ignorance isn't so on display as to cause me the loss of a sale. 

Given time I realized that was the case. Even if it is in the near future it only has to be plausible.

PS I don't really know how a computer works, and yes, Erazmus, I would like that actual forcefield shipped ASAP-- preferably overnight.

Gracias

Thanks again, everybody.

Robert, EMP is perfect. It also hints at a number of dramatic effects within the car as it shuts down.

For future reference: I went to youtube.com and discovered something (designed by, I believe General Dynamics but not sure) called "The TROPHY system." The defense contractor actually has a commercal for this thing. It somehow knocks out missiles before they get within a certain range of a moving vehicle. They're marketing it as a force field, but it's not like you could bounce a baseball off of it or anything. Check it out.

You realize of course that you all have practically brainstormed ideas for new stories altogether. Perhaps this "static field" of The Forever War was dark matter. What is the effect of EMP's on dark matter, and vice versa. A plasma field creates heat; if dark matter creates cold, what happens whenj they're combined.

This is potentially great stuff.