• Technology

    Developing Lasers for the Battlefield

    By Posted on 10.7.2008 16 Comments

    Laser weaponry is a hot topic lately (excuse the pun), especially for those who question the ethics of using them on the battlefield. In late September, the Senate approved a Defense Authorization Bill that would provide new funding for military laser weapons.

    4.6.2009 at 11:56am - Comment by BunkerBuster

    Why waste billions on these. Why don't we invent Satellite DNA Detectors. Find some of the bad guy's DNA (Anyone come to mind?) Since DNA is somewhat unique we could deliver a nice Hellfire suppository to the target when satellite goes on point.

  • Technology

    Robots That Hunt in Packs

    By John Brandon Posted on 11.7.2008 20 Comments

    The Department of Defense has put out a call: design a pack of robots. A so-called Multi-Robot Pursuit System would be used to "search for and detect a non-cooperative human subject." Each robot has to weigh 100 kilograms or less, act autonomously (with a human squad leader), negotiate obstacles, and provide immediate feedback. The robots would report back to a human operator, and defer to that human when the robot AI determines that a "difficult decision" is required.

    4.6.2009 at 11:48am - Comment by BunkerBuster

    High-Tech Fly paper. Let's see the enemy sneak up on us now. Make it so that it gets worse if you try to blow it up. Of course we would have an antidote that would render it inert. How about something that would just plain scare the crap out of your enemy. These robotoys cost alot of money. Low-Tech solutions could bring better pay and incentives, and still save lives.

  • Science

    Will We Run Out Of Breathable Oxygen If We Produce Too Much Carbon Dioxide?

    By Amy Geppert Posted on 9.23.2008 14 Comments

    Here’s why you might be worried: Burning oil, coal, gas, wood or other organic materials uses molecular oxygen, the O2 we breathe, to break carbon-hydrogen bonds and release energy. This reaction, better known as combustion, also pairs each broken-off, positively charged carbon atom with two negatively charged oxygen atoms, forming carbon dioxide, or CO2.

    9.24.2008 at 11:45am - Comment by BunkerBuster

    This is all mere speculation since none of us really know anything for sure except that the sun appears in the eastern sky and disappears in the western one. Theories change through the years as we discover that we didn't know what we were talking about in the first place. Sometimes things seem to make sense, other times, well..... I think I would be able to fund the Wall Street Bailout if I could figure out how to harness bickering and turn it into useful energy. Anyone have a "green" use for political rhetoric? Politicians have to realize that people are not as stupid as they used to be. Even the dropouts learn something via osmosis and the Discovery channel. Remember, the air we breath is 21% Oxygen and ~78% Nitrogen. Then there's the O3 levels. Face it. We are pretty stupid when it comes down to really understanding things. So why not just shut up the pie hole and pay attention to nature, you may learn something. Remember, even the learned can learn.



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