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Delivering Medicine By UAV
Buffaloaf writes "The brilliant minds at Singularity University are developing an internet of things they dub the Matternet which plans to deliver drugs and other small necessities to people in extremely remote locations by UAV. From the article: 'This particular class of S.U. was focused on solving problems for "the next billion people," those without access to modern technology. Matternet tackled the problem of getting drugs and diagnostic or test materials to people in rural areas in developing countries that don't have access to passable roads during rainy seasons. The company proposed building a network of robotic drones to deliver medication quickly and very cost-effectively--even less than a guy on a dirt bike costs.'"
Once UAVs have delivered bombs to critical infrastructure, UAVs can deliver the things the infrastructure used to enable the delivery of. Maybe Disney can do a song about the circle of UAVs.
Even seen the rain during the rainy season ? That little toy copter isn't even going to get off the ground.
Wrong budget, instead of trying to get money from the medical development people, they should just get it from the spooks/black ops people.
Well, there is a problem, but it has nothing to do with UAVs. The problem is that there is a market that is not served by legitimate means, and that this market is large enough to float operations that could potentially afford to purchase/build UAVs to smuggle/distribute their product over borders. The solution is not to ban the UAVs, but to satisfy the market via legal means, such as legalizing regulated sales of the more popular controlled substances. But then, we've known that for a while now, the end of prohibition being a shining example.
If memory serves, it is generally the opinion of everyone with a functioning brain that, for all situations wherein technology makes an illegal act easier, the correct solution is not to ban the technology.
There is already different levels of testing/fielding of this technology. See:
http://defense-update.com/products/q/quickmeds.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AAI_RQ-7_Shadow
Atlas Shrugged : Thematic Story
If memory serves, it is generally the opinion of everyone with a functioning brain that, for all situations wherein technology makes an illegal act easier, the correct solution is not to ban the technology.
With the slight addition: if that technology has an actual useful purpose (which could be the illegal act itself, or something else). I don't think free access to VX nerve gas would do society a lot of good.
Has one of these that figures somewhat prominently in the plot. It is, however, something a bit more robust than an "UAV", it is described as a "FedEx launcher" that sends a sub-orbital(!) package launched by a electro-magnetic railgun(?).
I guess it's the direct descendant of that DARPA hypersonic craft (that crashed at Mach 22). Anyway, it's when you absolutely positively need it ... anywhere in the world in the next hour! (hopefully there will be other old-timers here who'll remember that jingle).
Anyway, strongly recommend the book (Rainbow's End). Vernor Vinge as many of you know is a computer scientist who coined the term "Singularity" (or was it Virtual Reality?). Anyway, the book is a really good read "with one foot set in the near future" and is speculatively realistic with great technical details. Of course, his really great novel is "A Fire Upon The Deep" but I digress.
Bombs or bandages? Wave to the plane and find out!
Well then the correct solution would be to remove the need or desire for people to want to gas each other by using the resources of the Earth responsibly and efficiently, utilising the best known science and technology, without the restrictions of imaginary ownership and contrived money sequences, to create a society conducive to peace and health. Peace and health are values which have no cultural relativity. Only a really insane person would want to destroy such a system, and reducing self-destructive behaviour like the destruction of another person is what a society conducive to health would be about. There would be no need for dominance and subordination because everyone could be fed, housed and educated equally and freely, driven by their own inborn desire to better themselves and thereby bettering all others. Science shows that dominance and subordination are not conducive to health. And science is not a cold thing or only half of the picture, it's literally the understanding of nature, which is the Universe and everything in it including ourselves. Technology is the application of science, and includes everything from wheels to computers. To build a society along these lines and thereby aligning with our understanding of the state and functions of the Universe is, of course, natural and conducive to peace and health. A Utopia is not possible unless perfection is actually attainable, but by tending towards perfection is the surest way to find out. So, again, the correct solution is not to ban the technology. I mean it may be a good short-term solution but it's patchwork.
Which is the real problem? The drugs or the border? Or the thugs at the border?
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You can't get high on anti-retrovirals.
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