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New York, 9:20 PM
Tue Nov 24
65 posts in the last 24 hours

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  • posts about #iraq more →

    The Bomb-Sniffing Gadget That's (Definitely Not) Saving Iraq

    Pilot-less Drone Makes First Kill Ever

    007-Gadget-Filled Superyacht For Sale, One Insane Owner: Saddam

    What is the U.S. Military's New Top Secret Terrorist-Killing Gadget in Iraq?

    First Fully-Unmanned Machine Combat in History Heralds Robotic Apocalypse

    First All-UAV Air Force Combat Wing Takes to the Skies Sans Pilots Over Iraq

    Garmin eTrex Works after Iraq Bomb Blast (Humvee Not So Lucky)

    Review: Generation Kill—The Iraq War, Batteries Not Included

    Air Force Dismantles Crashed C-130 in Military-Style: With Lots of Explosives

    US Army Selects Top Inventions That Can Take, Or Save, Your Life
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    Dsmvwl  Admin  Promote to frontpage Approve user Ban user ×
    Image of nutbastard nutbastard
    11/04/09

    In reply to The Bomb-Sniffing Gadget That's (Definitely Not) Saving Iraq
    hey guess who ends up paying for these things?

    b-de-b-de-b-de that's us, folks. #ade651
     Reply
    nutbastard was starred nutbastard was unstarred
    Image of daveNYC daveNYC
    11/04/09

    In reply to The Bomb-Sniffing Gadget That's (Definitely Not) Saving Iraq
    Crap, I remember seeing a very similar looking gadget, with an identical list of BS claims about its funtionality on 60 Minutes over a decade ago. It was being sold to gullible hick police departments in the states. #ade651
     Reply
    daveNYC was starred daveNYC was unstarred
    Image of GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag
    11/04/09

    In reply to The Bomb-Sniffing Gadget That's (Definitely Not) Saving Iraq
    It's an E-Meter! It susses out the Theta levels of humans and booms. #ade651
     Reply
    GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag was starred GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag was unstarred
    Image of Xeno Xeno
    11/04/09

    In reply to The Bomb-Sniffing Gadget That's (Definitely Not) Saving Iraq
    This is basically a electronic dowsing rod. It works only by random chance. People just choose to forget about all the times it is wrong because they want to believe it works. #ade651
     Reply
    Xeno was starred Xeno was unstarred
    Image of Daveinva Daveinva
    11/04/09

    In reply to The Bomb-Sniffing Gadget That's (Definitely Not) Saving Iraq
    Wow, this is the same crap they tried to sell years ago as the DKL Lifeguard.

    [skepdic.com]

    I remember when Tom Clancy included the DKL in the novel "Rainbow Six." It was like, "Coooool, you can detect heartbeats through walls!" He, of course, was taken in by the fraud.

    And that was over TEN YEARS ago.

    Man, this makes me want to sell the Iraqis magic beans. #ade651
     Reply
    nutbastard promoted this comment Daveinva was starred Daveinva was unstarred
    Image of Tiny Iota Tiny Iota
    11/04/09

    In reply to The Bomb-Sniffing Gadget That's (Definitely Not) Saving Iraq

    Still, it works better than their previous bomb detector.
     Reply
    Fractal the Meek promoted this comment Edited by Tiny Iota at 11/04/09 10:35 AM Tiny Iota was starred Tiny Iota was unstarred
    Image of Fractal the Meek Fractal the Meek
    11/04/09

    @Tiny Iota: "Is this a bomb?" *shake shake*
    Ask again later.
    *shake shake*
    Concentrate and ask again.
    *shake shake*
    Cannot predict now.
    ...dammit. Hey, wait, where are you going? Come back! #ade651
     Reply
    Fractal the Meek was starred Fractal the Meek was unstarred
    Image of Kaiser-Machead Kaiser-Machead
    11/04/09

    In reply to The Bomb-Sniffing Gadget That's (Definitely Not) Saving Iraq

    I'm sure they can make up the difference by reselling them as ecto-repellant, or even an E-meter. I'm sure Cruise would be happy to roam about his estate searching for thetans.
     Reply
    Edited by Kaiser-Machead at 11/04/09 10:22 AM Kaiser-Machead was starred Kaiser-Machead was unstarred
    Image of FriarNurgle FriarNurgle
    11/04/09

    In reply to The Bomb-Sniffing Gadget That's (Definitely Not) Saving Iraq
    Amateurs
     Reply
    Fractal the Meek promoted this comment FriarNurgle was starred FriarNurgle was unstarred
    Image of PoliticalScapegoat PoliticalScapegoat
    03/06/09

    In reply to Pilot-less Drone Makes First Kill Ever
    Even though it's controlled by troops on the ground, is it still some guy sitting with a joysitick controlling the drone, or is it more like a RTS - scroll the map, select group, issue attack command, GG?
     Reply
    PoliticalScapegoat was starred PoliticalScapegoat was unstarred
    Image of GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag
    03/06/09

    @PoliticalScapegoat: They also had to shout "Leeroy Jenkins"!
     Reply
    GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag was starred GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag was unstarred
    Image of CrispyAardvark CrispyAardvark
    03/06/09

    In reply to Pilot-less Drone Makes First Kill Ever
    It's just another platform from which to fire ordinance. A missile shot from a manned vehicle on the ground is just the same as this, except with this, not all the components (radar, ordinance and human controller) are in the same location when firing.


    Now when these things no longer required human input to decide whether to fire or not, thats when I up sticks and move to a remote desert island..

     Reply
    CrispyAardvark was starred CrispyAardvark was unstarred
    Image of Kaiser-Machead Kaiser-Machead
    03/06/09

    @CrispyAardvark: Yeah, just imagine the next ballistic missile launched, it bounces off of the spice channel satellite in lower orbit and hits New Jersey instead of France (why there? Only time will tell)
     Reply
    Kaiser-Machead was starred Kaiser-Machead was unstarred
    Image of frigg frigg
    03/06/09

    In reply to Pilot-less Drone Makes First Kill Ever
    "Pilot-less Drone Makes First Publicly-Disclosed Kill Ever." / fixed
     Reply
    frigg was starred frigg was unstarred
    Image of Jrsy Devil's Advocate® Jrsy Devil's Advocate®
    03/06/09

    In reply to Pilot-less Drone Makes First Kill Ever
    Considering that someone is operating this drone, albeit remotely, doesn't that still qualify as being piloted?
     Reply
    Jrsy Devil's Advocate® was starred Jrsy Devil's Advocate® was unstarred
    Image of polezo polezo
    03/06/09

    In reply to Pilot-less Drone Makes First Kill Ever
    Maybe im missunderstanding the story here, but i really doubt this was actually the first kill by a drone. Predators were weaponized for at least months (maybe even years) before any civilians knew about it (the military's official stance was that they were only for surveilance), and i think it's equally likely there were some classified uses of them that made kills before this one.
     Reply
    polezo was starred polezo was unstarred
    Image of Hello Mister Walrus Hello Mister Walrus
    03/06/09

    @polezo: This is the first confirmed kill by an unmanned drone. Predator drones have human remote control pilots. This drone is apparently completely autonomous.
     Reply
    Hello Mister Walrus was starred Hello Mister Walrus was unstarred
    Image of frigg frigg
    03/06/09

    @Hello Mister Walrus: I don't believe this drone is autonomous.


    @polezo: commented the same below...

     Reply
    frigg was starred frigg was unstarred
    Image of polezo polezo
    03/06/09

    @Hello Mister Walrus: "Those are the words Corporal Phillip Cheng, who-together with Staff Sergeant Jerry Rhoades and Specialist James Pegg-controlled the robot to engage the enemy, fire ze missiles, and "neutralized both targets."


    I see the point of the story now, but how is that completely autonomous? I'd wager they were controlling it from the ground in a very similar way that the old pilots were controlling from a command center. And i still doubt that this is the first time it's happened, but rather just the first publicly reported incidence.

     Reply
    polezo was starred polezo was unstarred
    Image of Hello Mister Walrus Hello Mister Walrus
    03/06/09

    @polezo: Hmm... I guess the difference is that with a predator drone, someone would have to control it like an RC aircraft. However, with an "autonomous" drone, you just give it orders? i.e. "hey drone, fly there". "Look at that. Blow it up, please".
     Reply
    Hello Mister Walrus was starred Hello Mister Walrus was unstarred
    Image of Hello Mister Walrus Hello Mister Walrus
    03/06/09

    In reply to Pilot-less Drone Makes First Kill Ever
    If no humans were involved, dow do they know that those were enemy forces that the drone "neutralized"? Did the drone tell them? And they trusted it? Yup, that's how it all starts. "Beep beep, thinking to self... oops, I blew up some civilians. Wait, what the humans don't know won't hurt them. Enemies - yes, that's what they were."


    Obviously we should be completely secure with this development. There is nothing to worry about - nothing at all.

     Reply
    Hello Mister Walrus was starred Hello Mister Walrus was unstarred
    Image of Kaiser-Machead Kaiser-Machead
    03/06/09

    In reply to Pilot-less Drone Makes First Kill Ever
    I wouldn't worry about it. Firstly, Skynet would need to cover all of its bases before it decides to screw over the human race. A good example are drones such as these, which are not fueled by some self-sustaining power cell.


    In 2021, Skynet becomes self aware, and launches an offensive against the human race from the air


    Drone 32312: requesting refueling. over

    DENIED. over

    Pretty please. We promise we won't hurt you anymore. over.

    Shoulda launched a few automated aerial tankers, eh Skynet?

     Reply
    Kaiser-Machead was starred Kaiser-Machead was unstarred
    Image of aerospaceman aerospaceman
    03/06/09

    @Kaiser-Machead:
    Who says Skynet is not going to get people to work for him by promising them this or that?
     Reply
    aerospaceman was starred aerospaceman was unstarred
    Image of Kaiser-Machead Kaiser-Machead
    03/06/09

    @aerospaceman: Abortions for some, miniature American flags for everyone!
     Reply
    Kaiser-Machead was starred Kaiser-Machead was unstarred
    Image of Jrsy Devil's Advocate® Jrsy Devil's Advocate®
    03/06/09

    @Kaiser-Machead:


    "Drone 32312: requesting refueling. over


    DENIED. over


    Drone 32312: commencing suicide attack."

     Reply
    Jrsy Devil's Advocate® was starred Jrsy Devil's Advocate® was unstarred
    Image of GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag
    03/06/09

    @Kaiser-Machead: Someone hasn't seen Stealth.
     Reply
    GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag was starred GitEmSteveDave_ForgotNametag was unstarred
    Image of Kaiser-Machead Kaiser-Machead
    03/06/09

    @uɐıןɐɹʇsnɐ_GitEmSteveDave: I have, and Rob Cohen will rot in hell for it.
     Reply
    Kaiser-Machead was starred Kaiser-Machead was unstarred
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