3 ms·
> [...] the building next to the one in which I work, the world famous Draper Laboratory. [...] devoted almost entirely to missile guidance and submarine naviga
by neilv 3y ago
> [...] the building next to the one in which I work, the world famous Draper Laboratory. [...] devoted almost entirely to missile guidance and submarine navigation.
In front of that Draper building, there was a strange pillar, which I liked to imagine housed a geo-positioning reference point -- perhaps even the origin of a coordinate system. Then, if ever there were an ICBM guidance failure, on that fateful day, Draper might be ground (0,0,0). Like an engineer standing under the bridge they built, as the first trucks drive over it.
I was thinking of that as intentional/conscious by the engineers.
(BTW, I'm not criticizing; only a little dark humor reflection upon a grave, world-ending responsibility. Given that nuclear weapons were inevitable, I'm glad my country has some, that apparently MAD has worked thus far, and that there hasn't yet been an apocalyptic incident. I also hope that certain autocratic world leaders are taking their vitamins, and won't get even nuttier.)
- RCitronsBroker 3y agoconsidering how close to the edge of extermination we already have been brought, calling MAD successful leaves a real bad taste in my mouth.
- neilv 3y agoI had left it at "apparently MAD has worked thus far", not getting into the almost didn't. It still might end us. Also, think of all the past plausible/likely bad scenarios that MAD averted, such as involving the Soviets. I sometimes joke about a utopian future of humanity, all peace and love, for thousands of years... until we encounter malevolent space aliens. Humanity had lost the ability to even reason about such a conflict, unable to imagine many options. Fortunately, humanity had maintained the cryogenic suspension of Kissinger and other historical figures capable of cold-blooded ruthlessness. And there was a Thaw button. (In some versions of the story, as soon as the anti-dream team wakes up and starts talking, we decide they're even worse than the space aliens.)
- kwhitefoot 3y agoNot quite the same but you have reminded me of Clarke's The City and The Stars.
- flir 3y agoThis is the plot to Demolition Man :D
- whatshisface 3y agoAs a compromise, I propose that we get rid of Putin et al. but keep Paradox Interactive games.
- gumby 3y ago> In front of that Draper building, there was a strange pillar, which I liked to imagine housed a geo-positioning reference point -- perhaps even the origin of a coordinate system. Then, if ever there were an ICBM guidance failure, on that fateful day, Draper might be ground (0,0,0). Did you ever examine it closely? Nobody would try to stop you. It had a metal cap with a hole in it and some scratches. A few times over the years I remember seeing a tent around it. On those cases I didn't try to see if anyone would try to stop me! I know I and my friends thought the same as you.
- neilv 3y agoI'm glad I'm not the only one with an overactive imagination. :) Yep, I took a look at it and photographed it a few times over the years. I never saw a tent, nor any attention given to it by anyone other than me. If it didn't have that cap on it, I might've leaned a bit more towards suspecting it being vestigial from a lamp or flagpole. IIRC, the pillar was still there after the snazzy remodeling of the building entrance that happened in fairly recent years.
- petermcneeley 3y agoMAD not only has prevented nuclear war but prevented many conventional wars. MAD is the worlds most successful peace initiatives. MAD is a defensive fortification in a world were we thought such was impossible. Those with weak stomachs, the Weizenbaums of this world, are too myopic to realize this truth.