What about possible health impacts in the future? I mean, supposing that these things become ubiquitous and the military/government/corporations spread them around for various monitoring purposes, how do they get cleaned up? As technology advances and this "smart dust" gets smaller/finer, what are the implications of inhaling them? (Seems to me battlefields aren't so much of a worry; there are other things more hazardous to health on those. This would only really apply if SmartDust was used a lot for monitoring civilians.)
Not to mention the fact that privacy issues (as usual) rear their ugly head once more. What happens when I pick up a bunch of these on my clothes/shoes from walking around downtown and take them back home with me? Automatic distribution of the dust, deploying a sensor network to residential neighborhoods, collecting all manner of information as the technology develops. What, will I have to install an "EMP chamber" like an airlock in my home to walk through?:)
I've often wondered about that myself...especially considering the speed with which the eagles travel to Mount Doom in the Return of the King. But after much thought, my conclusion is that strength of numbers wouldn't be important; the vigilance of the Nazgul would foil the plot. Sauron would become aware of the presence of the ring, and the Ringbearer, contending with Sauron himself, would inevitably fold. So stealth was required--something at which hobbits excel.
(Plus, his "weakest soldiers" are much more hardy, recover from wounds more quickly, and are more resistant to the Ring's influence than the stronger soldiers.)
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What about possible health impacts in the future? I mean, supposing that these things become ubiquitous and the military/government/corporations spread them around for various monitoring purposes, how do they get cleaned up? As technology advances and this "smart dust" gets smaller/finer, what are the implications of inhaling them? (Seems to me battlefields aren't so much of a worry; there are other things more hazardous to health on those. This would only really apply if SmartDust was used a lot for monitoring civilians.)
:)
Not to mention the fact that privacy issues (as usual) rear their ugly head once more. What happens when I pick up a bunch of these on my clothes/shoes from walking around downtown and take them back home with me? Automatic distribution of the dust, deploying a sensor network to residential neighborhoods, collecting all manner of information as the technology develops. What, will I have to install an "EMP chamber" like an airlock in my home to walk through?
It has already been pointed out that the author is not using regex rules. :)
I've often wondered about that myself...especially considering the speed with which the eagles travel to Mount Doom in the Return of the King. But after much thought, my conclusion is that strength of numbers wouldn't be important; the vigilance of the Nazgul would foil the plot. Sauron would become aware of the presence of the ring, and the Ringbearer, contending with Sauron himself, would inevitably fold. So stealth was required--something at which hobbits excel.
(Plus, his "weakest soldiers" are much more hardy, recover from wounds more quickly, and are more resistant to the Ring's influence than the stronger soldiers.)
There goes your chance for an open casket funeral...