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Chinese Develop Remote Controlled Pigeons

Posted by kdawson on from the better-than-sharks-with-lasers dept.

Many readers sent us links to the story about Chinese scientists developing pigeons whose flight can be controlled remotely. The best coverage may be Wired's, both because they link to the English language version of the original Peoples Daily Online release, and because of the (disturbing) photos. The birds can be commanded to fly left, right, up, or down. Reader KDan writes, "A number of obvious uses jump out to me... the remote-controlled pigeons will finally allow us to create an efficient implementation of RFC 1149 and RFC 2549."

18 of 238 comments (clear)

  1. RFC 2549 by LiquidCoooled · · Score: 4, Funny

    Packet storm!

    Routing to the max.
    If you set the evilbit can you make your pigeon crap on specified targets?

    --
    liqbase :: faster than paper
    1. Re:RFC 2549 by Amphetam1ne · · Score: 3, Funny

      Be sure to implement suitable anti-virus to prevent transmission of Avian Flu.

      --
      I only buy pepper spray that's been tested on anti-vivisectionists.
  2. yaaay! by apodyopsis · · Score: 2, Funny

    I want simple controls:-

    left, right, forward and of course.... fire!

    get them to eat berries first for a full on multicolour pebble dashing.

    and wait until my neighbour is washing his car.

    (of course a small head mounted camera with crosshairs target scope would be good as well :-)

    ah, delight.

  3. Chinese conspiracy! by oddmake · · Score: 4, Funny

    Now,Communist Party of China can control Google remotely!

  4. Am I the only one... by commisaro · · Score: 4, Funny

    Am I the only one who immediately thought of the Homing Pigeon bomb from Worms Armaggedon?

    1. Re:Am I the only one... by ScrewMaster · · Score: 3, Funny

      Two words: bird flu.

      Of course the bird flu. That's what birds do! A whole flock of them flu over my house this morning.

      --
      The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
  5. Flap flap flap flap flap... by BigJim.fr · · Score: 2, Funny

    Anyone who has played Worms is well aware of the weaponization potential of the homing pigeon. The future battlefield will be a bed of feathers...

  6. If this was invented in America by Profound · · Score: 2, Funny

    Each pigeon would cost 2 million dollars and cities with many statues would be labelled as an imminent threats.

  7. Stop the pigeon by BetterThanCaesar · · Score: 3, Funny

    We'll have to get the best of help! Somebody call Dick Dastardly and Muttley!

    --
    "Stop failing the Turing test!" -- Dilbert
    1. Re:Stop the pigeon by gkhan1 · · Score: 1, Funny

      Ruff, ruff, ruff! *cough* *cough*

  8. In Soviet Russia...... by BadMuN · · Score: 3, Funny

    pigeons control YOU.

  9. Denial of service... by T0mWil5on · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...Hitchcock-style!

  10. Re:Oblig. by rvw · · Score: 2, Funny

    Does it run on a penguin?

  11. PigeonRank! by cyrax256 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Now Google will finetune PigeonRank to perfection!

  12. Do it, bitch! by thetroll123 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Don't underestimate the value of a bird that can be commanded to go down at will...

  13. Re:Whats the application? What about ethics? by TapeCutter · · Score: 2, Funny

    "We can keep doing this all day if you lot don't stop being so half-arsed about it."

    I know, adding a symetrical cheek to make it a full-arsed Universe is a GoodIdea(TM), but I don't think we can streach the budget enough to afford such a radical change. For a start, just think of how many god years it will take to test the whole Universe for the absence of ethical values. And who's going to do the documnets, sacred texts don't write themselves you know.

    --
    And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
  14. Re:Or... by GTMoogle · · Score: 2, Funny

    Well, you need 10 kg of plutonium for critical mass. I'm not sure what would be harder, having them live long enough to reach the target, or getting them all to crash into each other at the same time.

  15. Re:This sounds horrible by InsertCleverUsername · · Score: 2, Funny

    > This sounds horrible. I find the idea of overriding another
    > animal's free will very disturbing.

    Oh... You are NOT going to like being part of Corporate America after college.

    --
    Ask me about my sig!