The SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY News Thread

[LoweGear]

Originally Posted by Solace

It's not. We've had high intensity lasers for decades, it's the other parts of the weapon that have taken time to catch up technologically. The railgun is also going through successful trials.

I've been following the development of both weapon systems for a long while now, so you're preaching to the choir Just saying that the article itself isn't likely to be an April Fool's joke as Dhomochevsky seems to think.

[Rising Dragon]

I'd allow transhumanism if it'd allow me to fix my worthless eyesight permanently.

[Endless Soul]

Originally Posted by Rising Dragon

Considering we already have developed working exoskeletons that provide both reasonable mobility and substantially increased strength, yes we'll have power armor before genetically-enhanced super soldiers. Only thing that's really preventing further development is power sources.

You know what's after that, right? Extremely large mechs with extremely large weapons.

Endless "Mad Cat" Soul

[Ithekro]

Unless one is talking organ transplants, One would assume the only way to do genetic tampering, modification, and corrections would be at the single cell stage. Meaning whatever comes out as a result of gene modification has to grow up before it can become a useful member of society. And given that whomever that is will still be in the normal education system....they still might not amount to anything is life. They could be bulllied in school...or defending on the modifications, might be the bullies at school. They might be so smart, or fast, or strong they get a superiority complex...or get a lazy attitude and fail in everything because it is boring.

Unless you segrigate your new super soldiers....but then you are potentially dehumanizing them.

Unless someone has been working on some sort of gene injection tech that should rewrite your own DNA. Then you would get changes in adults (assuming their cells haven't basically stopped dividing as is what they say is a cause for "old age").

It does bring up bad images from one of the Batman cartoons of animal splicing into humans. Though you would get cat girls out of the deal.....

[Rising Dragon]

Originally Posted by Endless Soul

You know what's after that, right? Extremely large mechs with extremely large weapons.

Endless "Mad Cat" Soul

Gotta wait for a Minovsky or GN Particle for that to work properly.

Something like a Vital Suit, on the other hand... I can see that happening.

[Ithekro]

I still prefere the "simpler" style of Full Metal Panic. Were it isn't the motors (at least with 2nd generation tech) that is out of reach...but the materials for moving the mecha (the muscle material as oppose to the bulky hydrolics).

[Rising Dragon]

The biggest obstacle to giant robots isn't the power source or building materials, really. The biggest obstacle is the Square/Cube Law. We'd need to overcome that before we can make any real giant robots.

[Endless Soul]

Exactly, which is why irradiated super-size insects and arachnids will never happen. They'd be crushed under their own weight.

Endless "Them" Soul

[Rising Dragon]

Thank physics for that.

[Bri]

Originally Posted by Ascaloth

I'd always figured we'll get the powered armour power source problem licked if we can find a way for the power armour to tap directly into the user's body for energy. That way, just provide powered armour soldiers with a high-calorie diet, and you're pretty much set.

Being a science idiot, it's probably a load of wishful thinking on my part though.

Hmm, the human metabolisms isn't very efficient. You'd want the armor to tap directly into the fat reserves of the trooper. Extract human fat trough liposuction then convert it into biodiesel. Maybe a heat exchanger to absorb excess body heat to power the eletronics. Rough estimate: you'd be able to run a small engine, say a 5 horsepower diesel generator that powers the armor for 24 combat hours on 12kg of human fat.

That's about the total reserves of a 75kg male in decent shape with 15% body-fat. Same male, obese at 125kg could run the armor 5 times longer. Humans can't really gain weight faster than a pound a day so after our trooper would need to recover for about a month for 24 hours of combat duty. Clearly there would need to be a large supply of chubby recruits.

Oh my, I think we just found a way to get rid of the country's obesity problem...

[Ithekro]

Well that would mean no more thin teenager mecha pilots in anime, as it would be even more unrealistic.

[Mr Hat and Clogs]

Originally Posted by Rising Dragon

The biggest obstacle to giant robots isn't the power source or building materials, really. The biggest obstacle is the Square/Cube Law. We'd need to overcome that before we can make any real giant robots.

Build them hollow. /nod.

Volume? What volume?

[Ascaloth]

Originally Posted by Bri

Hmm, the human metabolisms isn't very efficient. You'd want the armor to tap directly into the fat reserves of the trooper. Extract human fat trough liposuction then convert it into biodiesel. Maybe a heat exchanger to absorb excess body heat to power the eletronics. Rough estimate: you'd be able to run a small engine, say a 5 horsepower diesel generator that powers the armor for 24 combat hours on 12kg of human fat.

That's about the total reserves of a 75kg male in decent shape with 15% body-fat. Same male, obese at 125kg could run the armor 5 times longer. Humans can't really gain weight faster than a pound a day so after our trooper would need to recover for about a month for 24 hours of combat duty. Clearly there would need to be a large supply of chubby recruits.

Oh my, I think we just found a way to get rid of the country's obesity problem...

Wait a minute....well, fuck.

Maybe the reason why there are so many scooter-Jabbas in America is because they are actually training to be recruits for this top secret project. And maybe our resident MiB Vexx-jiji complains so much about them because he's still doing his duty to keep the plebs in the dark about the USA's newest 'black' project.

For the Emperor, indeed.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Bri

Hmm, the human metabolisms isn't very efficient. You'd want the armor to tap directly into the fat reserves of the trooper. Extract human fat trough liposuction then convert it into biodiesel. Maybe a heat exchanger to absorb excess body heat to power the eletronics. Rough estimate: you'd be able to run a small engine, say a 5 horsepower diesel generator that powers the armor for 24 combat hours on 12kg of human fat.

That's about the total reserves of a 75kg male in decent shape with 15% body-fat. Same male, obese at 125kg could run the armor 5 times longer. Humans can't really gain weight faster than a pound a day so after our trooper would need to recover for about a month for 24 hours of combat duty. Clearly there would need to be a large supply of chubby recruits.

Oh my, I think we just found a way to get rid of the country's obesity problem...

Unless you are filling the suit with bacta, liposuction at that rate to fuel the biodiesel generator can cause the person to bleed to death because it sucks out the adipose TISSUE, which like any other piece of flesh is connected to numerous blood vessels. It can cause serious internal bleeding.

There is no better weapon than psychological warfare; covertly create an agency of influence made up entirely of fujoshi with good marketing skills, then send them into enemy territory. Watch them wipe out the entire population in half a century.

[GDB]

Originally Posted by Ascaloth

And maybe our resident MiB Vexx-jiji complains so much about them because he's still doing his duty to keep the plebs in the dark about the USA's newest 'black' project.

Or maybe he's just against human experimentation, regardless of consent?

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

There is no better weapon than psychological warfare; covertly create an agency of influence made up entirely of fujoshi with good marketing skills, then send them into enemy territory. Watch them wipe out the entire population in half a century.

Or cause the men, who are often in charge of weapons and governmental influence, to go on a rampage.

[Endless Soul]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

There is no better weapon than psychological warfare; covertly create an agency of influence made up entirely of fujoshi with good marketing skills, then send them into enemy territory. Watch them wipe out the entire population in half a century.

Not so fast there pal. Who are we sending, the agency of influence or the fujoshi? Or are they one and the same?

Endless "" Soul

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by Endless Soul

Not so fast there pal. Who are we sending, the agency of influence or the fujoshi? Or are they one and the same?

Endless "" Soul

An agency of influence is made up of agents of influence, and these agents of influence are fujoshis.

[AnimeFan188]

"A team of academics has won a $10m grant for a five-year project to develop
robots that can be designed and manufactured by anyone within 24 hours.

“Our goal is to develop technology that enables anyone to manufacture their own
customized robot. This is truly a game changer,” said Professor Vijay Kumar, who
is leading the team from the University of Pennsylvania, in a statement. “It could
allow for the rapid design and manufacture of customized goods, and change the
way we teach science and technology in high schools.”"

See:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2012/04...e_robot_plans/

[Endless Soul]

Here's an awesome collection of photos from the Gemini project around 50 years ago. For those that don't know, Gemini was the space program that lead into the Apollo project for the moon landings.

Remembering Project Gemini

Spoiler for Sample images:

I haven't seen some of these before. Also, the thing that really impresses me with the technology of the times is that most of this stuff was designed on paper and most calculations were done on a slide rule.

Endless "Space walk" Soul

[SaintessHeart]

I really respected the scientists who thought of putting people into space....in fact that is one of the few good things that actually came out of the Cold War.

The Russians went "You Yanks suck." when they put Gagarin into space. The Americans responded "Fuck you Commies" and put 2 men on the moon. Next the Russians put a woman into space......the rest is history.