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Imagine when drones the size of dragonflies carry needles containing poison to assassination targets. Today's drones are very crude in comparison. Once it bec

Imagine when drones the size of dragonflies carry needles containing poison to assassination targets. Today's drones are very crude in comparison. Once it becomes plausible that any squirrel, mouse, dragon fly, etc. could be an assassination weapon, it will become necessary for heads of state to travel surrounded by swarms of friendly robots, in all sorts of form factors.

epoxyhockey 15y ago
I'll let you in on a little secret: Heads of states are generally not assassination targets by other country states. Why? If you were a country, would you like to deal with a decentralized/unofficial government that has no control over its citizens?
- 0x12 15y ago
  You're obviously not related to Hugo Chavez ;) Travel does not have to mean 'travel outside the country', so even if most attempts to decapitate a country are home-grown that doesn't mean that heads of state don't travel with a security entourage when they are within their own borders. On top of that I do believe that heads of state already travel with a security entourage when traveling abroad. It is not necessarily the other nations they're afraid of but their lunatics. And a small robot drone will be within the financial means of anybody with an axe to grind in the fairly near future.
- randomStuff 15y ago
  You clearly don't watch enough action movies. The historical record of virtually all attempts on a US presidents life being the result single individual acting alone, have no relevance. :P
- grandalf 15y ago
  Sometimes the goal of military action is not conquest. Well timed assassinations are hugely powerful (by foreign and domestic groups). One look at the presidential motorcade (or at the entourage of machine gun carrying thugs that accompany politicians in 3rd world countries) should make that quite clear.
MarkPNeyer 15y ago
in 'diamond age', neal stephenson describes a future where nanotech devices are a constant threat, and cities are surrounded by grids of devices that scan for incoming threats and destroy them. also there's a cult centered around a subconsciousness born in a group sex ritual. so yeah, good book.
- grandalf 15y ago
  just bought this! thanks for the recommendation.
wladimir 15y ago
It would start with heads of state and rich people with enemies. But I expect all of us will be surrounded by swarms of friendly robots some day, both to help us with tasks and for security (some kind of artificial immune system?). As usual with war tech, the research will eventually find its way to consumer products.
- rwmj 15y ago
  I've already got swarms of friendly "robots" running through my bloodstream.
jpulgarin 15y ago
Lifeboat Foundation is working on this problem: http://lifeboat.com/ex/main http://lifeboat.com/ex/main
Flow 15y ago
Watch the movie Screamers for another scenario: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114367/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114367/

epoxyhockey 15y ago

I'll let you in on a little secret: Heads of states are generally not assassination targets by other country states. Why? If you were a country, would you like to deal with a decentralized/unofficial government that has no control over its citizens?

0x12 15y ago
You're obviously not related to Hugo Chavez ;) Travel does not have to mean 'travel outside the country', so even if most attempts to decapitate a country are home-grown that doesn't mean that heads of state don't travel with a security entourage when they are within their own borders. On top of that I do believe that heads of state already travel with a security entourage when traveling abroad. It is not necessarily the other nations they're afraid of but their lunatics. And a small robot drone will be within the financial means of anybody with an axe to grind in the fairly near future.
randomStuff 15y ago
You clearly don't watch enough action movies. The historical record of virtually all attempts on a US presidents life being the result single individual acting alone, have no relevance. :P
grandalf 15y ago
Sometimes the goal of military action is not conquest. Well timed assassinations are hugely powerful (by foreign and domestic groups). One look at the presidential motorcade (or at the entourage of machine gun carrying thugs that accompany politicians in 3rd world countries) should make that quite clear.

MarkPNeyer 15y ago

in 'diamond age', neal stephenson describes a future where nanotech devices are a constant threat, and cities are surrounded by grids of devices that scan for incoming threats and destroy them. also there's a cult centered around a subconsciousness born in a group sex ritual. so yeah, good book.

grandalf 15y ago
just bought this! thanks for the recommendation.

wladimir 15y ago

It would start with heads of state and rich people with enemies. But I expect all of us will be surrounded by swarms of friendly robots some day, both to help us with tasks and for security (some kind of artificial immune system?). As usual with war tech, the research will eventually find its way to consumer products.

rwmj 15y ago
I've already got swarms of friendly "robots" running through my bloodstream.

jpulgarin 15y ago

Lifeboat Foundation is working on this problem: http://lifeboat.com/ex/main http://lifeboat.com/ex/main

Flow 15y ago

Watch the movie Screamers for another scenario: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114367/ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0114367/