It's going to happen. If it's banned it'll happen in secret government labs (not in the US of course as they honour all their treaties) and out of the way countries.
If it does go wrong, or is abused, chances are the only solution will be better nanotech than is threatening us. Are you sure you'd rather it wasn't looked into?
Drownedrat
p.s. still laughing at the idea of the US government honouring a treaty. Should keep me smiling all day that one....
I may be mistaken but I believed one of the conditions on granting a patent is novelty.
There seems to be a lot of patents being issued for an old idea in a new medium.
An online auction is still an auction. Putting a picture, or a song on a computer doesn't stop it being a picture or a song.
Patents of this kind are purely money grabbing schemes, often by people who have spotted the new medium & have no plan to exploit the idea, just rip off those who do.
It's basically a different type of domain squatting. (Wonder if I could patent it as such...)
In case you hadn't noticed, the US isn't really #1 at anything besides tooting their own horns. With the arguable exception of movie production (which is fraught with it's own evils) I'm hard pressed to think of anything that you're better at than the rest of the world.
Now that's just unfair and untrue. Americans (as a whole) consume more resources and energy and create more waste (including many of the movies)than anyone else on the planet. Several times over if memory serves.
The technology creats a sound wave at the point where the two ultrasonics intersect. So, if the energy of the ultrasonics were high enough, or enough ultrasonic waves intersected close to each other, this could create a huge sonic force, enough to throw someone through the air, or knock down walls. Interesting weaponry applications, eh?
Wrong end of the spectrum. Ultralow frequency knocks buildings down and jellies people. Was discovered by a french guy about 20 years ago.
Believe there was an application to fatigue materials through high frequency sound.
Ultrasonic scalpels also exist, but suspect had to focus at this range. Saw a demo where a pattern was burned into a (removed) kidney. When they'd finished sliced it open to show very neat tissue destruction. If worked at range you could do nasty things to someones brain, that might easily be missed or misdiagnosed in autopsy.
Most of the comments (I admit I've not read em all) have concentrated on the fuel angle. But the article comments on ammunition as well. It seems unlikely they are going to be able to atack the brass of shells so maybe they would go after the propellants & explosives. Ignoring for the moment that these are often moisture sensitive & so hermetically sealed they are often nitrate based.
Wouldn't be much of an enviromentalists dream if something eating nitrates on a mass scale got loose, as all the plants would die. Then all the animals that ate the plants. Then all the animals that ate the plant eating animals. Then us.
>>If you don't think we're behind you might want to look at some Japanese cell phones
>This has nothing to do with Japanese technology, and everything to do with Japanese Cellphone infrastructure.
Nope it's the technology. They don't use GSM, but (i believe) PCN. Only good for high density population tho, hence no popular in most of the world. We used to have some in hte UK but only worked in a small area so no use to most people. With it the tech can be smaller (they have working watch phones) & fashion keeps em pretty.
D
Not much different in concept to the giant conservatories/hot houses that have been in the gardens of rich brits (& probably others) for hundreds of years for orchids & tropical plants. Kew Gardens having some of the best remaining ones.
The main difference is in scope & scale.
Very cool tech, lots of potential, and having visited recently can safely say a top place to visit
D
For some people it's not always safe to appear on a traceable system. Whistle blowers could loose their jobs, or in some cicles life and limb.
People don't just use these services for porn you know (though that may be the primary use)
D
If memory serves a carbon arc in a vacuum chamber makes the balls, though not sure of the tubes. Assume you have to tweak the voltage, current & spacing to maximise yeild. There is also a solvent that can be used to seperate them I think, or may have been a floatation seperation.
Sorry for vagueness, but going back several years in a memory that has trouble with last night.
D.
Doesn't stop it being radioacive waste. Ever hear of heavy water (d20)??? Helium, or hydrogen or whatever is an element name. Doesn't mean no isotopes can exist or be dangerous.
Also the plant it's self will become highly radioactive overtime as it soaks the radiation given off. Already happened to the existing test reactors. On a live system you'd probably have to replace a lot of the plant every so often & that's going to be some big bits of kit to dispose of safely.
D.
As increasing numbers of us bank, shop & work online it seems a little odd to introduce rules that mean we have to trust those that supply the banks, retailers etc. to come up with sound code. Time & time again code is released with holes, weakneses etc.
Currently 'recreational'* crackers find & publicise these. If no one can legitimately check on the strength of encryption it, fewer will take the risk of exposing poor implementations & only those with criminal intent will find the exploits & shaft the rest of us.
I'm not to bothered about being able to get a free ebook, but if the law is wielded carelessly it will put our money & our work at risk.
Do you really trust comercial organisations not to make any mistakes???
Didn't think so.
D.
* as in for the challenge not the profit
Slashdot Mirror
If it does go wrong, or is abused, chances are the only solution will be better nanotech than is threatening us. Are you sure you'd rather it wasn't looked into?
Drownedrat
p.s. still laughing at the idea of the US government honouring a treaty. Should keep me smiling all day that one....
There seems to be a lot of patents being issued for an old idea in a new medium.
An online auction is still an auction. Putting a picture, or a song on a computer doesn't stop it being a picture or a song.
Patents of this kind are purely money grabbing schemes, often by people who have spotted the new medium & have no plan to exploit the idea, just rip off those who do.
It's basically a different type of domain squatting. (Wonder if I could patent it as such...)
D.
Now that's just unfair and untrue. Americans (as a whole) consume more resources and energy and create more waste (including many of the movies)than anyone else on the planet. Several times over if memory serves.
Credit where credit is due.
D.
Good business.
If you build your network to use IP it can carry anything not just voice, so you increase your market catch.
Mobile data is one of the few things selling at the moment.
D.
D.
Wrong end of the spectrum. Ultralow frequency knocks buildings down and jellies people. Was discovered by a french guy about 20 years ago.
Believe there was an application to fatigue materials through high frequency sound.
Ultrasonic scalpels also exist, but suspect had to focus at this range. Saw a demo where a pattern was burned into a (removed) kidney. When they'd finished sliced it open to show very neat tissue destruction. If worked at range you could do nasty things to someones brain, that might easily be missed or misdiagnosed in autopsy.
D.
Hate to break it to you, but Japan isn't in europe.
D.
A sense of identity requested by Anonymous Coward?
Sorry, but I find that pterry amusing!
D.
Wouldn't be much of an enviromentalists dream if something eating nitrates on a mass scale got loose, as all the plants would die. Then all the animals that ate the plants. Then all the animals that ate the plant eating animals. Then us.
Sounds fun doesn't it.
D.
>>If you don't think we're behind you might want to look at some Japanese cell phones >This has nothing to do with Japanese technology, and everything to do with Japanese Cellphone infrastructure. Nope it's the technology. They don't use GSM, but (i believe) PCN. Only good for high density population tho, hence no popular in most of the world. We used to have some in hte UK but only worked in a small area so no use to most people. With it the tech can be smaller (they have working watch phones) & fashion keeps em pretty. D
You can get one for the V/Vx http://www.red-m.com/products/Blade/Default.asp dunno about the M10X series tho D
Not much different in concept to the giant conservatories/hot houses that have been in the gardens of rich brits (& probably others) for hundreds of years for orchids & tropical plants. Kew Gardens having some of the best remaining ones. The main difference is in scope & scale. Very cool tech, lots of potential, and having visited recently can safely say a top place to visit D
For some people it's not always safe to appear on a traceable system. Whistle blowers could loose their jobs, or in some cicles life and limb. People don't just use these services for porn you know (though that may be the primary use) D
If memory serves a carbon arc in a vacuum chamber makes the balls, though not sure of the tubes. Assume you have to tweak the voltage, current & spacing to maximise yeild. There is also a solvent that can be used to seperate them I think, or may have been a floatation seperation. Sorry for vagueness, but going back several years in a memory that has trouble with last night. D.
Doesn't stop it being radioacive waste. Ever hear of heavy water (d20)??? Helium, or hydrogen or whatever is an element name. Doesn't mean no isotopes can exist or be dangerous. Also the plant it's self will become highly radioactive overtime as it soaks the radiation given off. Already happened to the existing test reactors. On a live system you'd probably have to replace a lot of the plant every so often & that's going to be some big bits of kit to dispose of safely. D.
As increasing numbers of us bank, shop & work online it seems a little odd to introduce rules that mean we have to trust those that supply the banks, retailers etc. to come up with sound code. Time & time again code is released with holes, weakneses etc. Currently 'recreational'* crackers find & publicise these. If no one can legitimately check on the strength of encryption it, fewer will take the risk of exposing poor implementations & only those with criminal intent will find the exploits & shaft the rest of us. I'm not to bothered about being able to get a free ebook, but if the law is wielded carelessly it will put our money & our work at risk. Do you really trust comercial organisations not to make any mistakes??? Didn't think so. D. * as in for the challenge not the profit