Laser Cannons --> Military --> Spam

[Ran-Taro]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
Keep in mind that a lot of modern technology was pioneered by the military as a means to kill people more effectively...

Like what for example?

I'm not being argumentative BTW - I would genuinely like to know some examples of this(plus it's generally reassuring to hear some sort of example when people make sweeping statements).

[geoschmo]

Re: The Teller interview in the Economist. What exactly is inherantly immoral about spending money on technology that does not currently exsist? That's what research and development is all about. At the start of the Manhattan project noone knew for sure the bomb would work. The same with the airplane, tanks, guns, any piece of weapons technology. And any civilian technology also for that matter.

The Stratregic Defense Initiative was a massive program to advance the technology needed to achieve a missle shield. Debate the morality of having a missle shield if you want, but once the decision is made to develop one, saying it's imorral to spend the money to research it is a bit odd.

[Cyrien]

Originally posted by Ran-Taro:

quote:

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Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
Keep in mind that a lot of modern technology was pioneered by the military as a means to kill people more effectively...

Like what for example?

I'm not being argumentative BTW - I would genuinely like to know some examples of this(plus it's generally reassuring to hear some sort of example when people make sweeping statements).

---

There is a TV show in the US on the History Channel now called "Tactical to Practical" that deals directly with this issue.

A few that I know of.

The Microwave Oven - by product of radar experiments
Radar - WW2. Yah.
GPS - Modern. For military location. Now it is everywhere.
Sonar - WW1. Hydrophone to find the first U-boats. Now try and find a modern fishing vessel that doesn't have it.
Jet Engines - WW2.
Kevlar - Saved many military lives and many police officer lives.
Night and Infrared Imaging technology - Oh yah. All over now. First the military though for obvious reasons.
The Computer - Some of the earliest computers and major computer breakthroughs were there to calculate the trajectories of ICBMs and calculate where they would hit. Also crypobreakers etc.
Nuclear Power - I shouldn't have to say more on this one.
Satellite Recon and Imaging - All military are first. Now lots of civilian firms that use this technology.
Cryptography - Military for wartime use to civilian, specifically for the computer in modern life.
Submarine (increasingly more uses for this vessel being foud in the civilian sector)

Just to name a few.
In fact most militarily advanced nations have programs or departments within the military that exist specifically to analyze the feasibility of releasing specific technologies to the public after having been developed for the military. These same agencies also have the role of analyzing developing civilian technologies and determining if they can be put to use for the military.

http://www.mod.uk/aboutus/keyfacts/f...sification.htm

I had one for the US but I closed the page and now I can't remember the combination of searches that got me to it.

[ November 04, 2003, 14:49: Message edited by: Cyrien ]

[geoschmo]

Good list Cyrien. Two minor nitpicks.

The original mechanical and electromechanical computers were actually being used to calulate artillery trajectories before the invention of ICBMs. But the principle is correct.

And nuclear power is one on your list that I believe the early research was in the area of power generation and later was harnessed for it's explosive potential. I could be wrong about that though. Maybe the early reactors were just about making enough useable material to build a bomb.

[Cyrien]

Originally posted by geoschmo:
Good list Cyrien. Two minor nitpicks.

The original mechanical and electromechanical computers were actually being used to calulate artillery trajectories before the invention of ICBMs. But the principle is correct.

And nuclear power is one on your list that I believe the early research was in the area of power generation and later was harnessed for it's explosive potential. I could be wrong about that though. Maybe the early reactors were just about making enough useable material to build a bomb.

Yes. The scientiests were researching nuclear potential before WW2. But once it broke out they got all the money they could ever want. The first working nuclear generators did nothing but provide material for bombs, but they could have theoretically been used to provide power as well. In point of fact it is very likely that had WW2 not broken out actuall usable nuclear power and weapons would not have been around until many decades later. There is something to be said for crash military programs to make the ultimate weapon.

And yes you are right about the artillery projectiles as well for the first ones, but I am also right about the later ones and advances in them for more complicated ICBM calculations.

So YAY! to us.

[Wardad]

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
Keep in mind that a lot of modern technology was pioneered by the military as a means to kill people more effectively...

All generalizations are false.

[Puke]

someone brought up mirrors, to target or deflect lasers, a page or so back.

while that works for low powered lasers, i believe these days most are directed by magnetic fields, much like the particle guns in side a television tube. the problem with mirrors - especially on more powerfull beams - is that they actually are not all that reflective. even with a reflection index of about 90%, which is nigh impossible to create and maintain, a laser will quickly damage or destroy the mirror. most of the problem lies in that mirrors are not all that reflective, the rest of the problem lies in that the reflectiveness is highly subject to damage and is hard to maintain (frequent polishing, must controll exposure to elements, temperature...)

somone else mentioned laser propulsion for space vehicles - i believe nasa recently flew the first small craft (model airplane) powered entirely by lasers. maybe a week or two ago.