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What a great time for this article! The US is having a mass hysteria event and it turns out you can churn out DYI drones for the fat sum of $12-13 each? What a

What a great time for this article! The US is having a mass hysteria event and it turns out you can churn out DYI drones for the fat sum of $12-13 each? What a time to be alive! Edit: Hmm, considering that people are taking stars for UFOs lately, maybe a cheap drone is an overkill and a 20-pack of Chinese sky lanterns would be more than enough to keep the average US neighbourhood in a state of constant fear / see how long it takes for you to get to the front page of /r/UFOs...

abracadaniel 2y ago
Judging from the posts I’ve seen, others have already started. Someone had a drone with a lit Roman candle going the other day. Or it was FAA compliant aliens. One of the two.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- ok654321 2y ago
  [flagged]
  - igor47 2y ago
    Welcome to hacker News! Yes, we find ignorance funny. I think people adding fuel to the fire are the ones freaking out about aliens or Iranian mother ships. Pointing out that the this is a hysteria event is more akin to pouring water on the flames.
    - meaydinli 2y ago
      No, it is not "Hacker News" to paint a large swath of people as "ignorant". The proper way would have been to publish a detailed, technical analysis and present your ideas along with your proof to the greater community and facilitate a discussion.
      - omgwtfbyobbq 2y ago
        I think it's kinda both. Besides, everyone's ignorant about something. https://xkcd.com/1053/ https://xkcd.com/1053/
      - fc417fc802 2y ago
        [flagged]
      - phoronixrly 2y ago
        My guy, there are government officials that are sharing photos of the Orion constellation stating that it's a drone swarm just standing there over their property...
      - stavros 2y ago
        I like your optimism. Personally, I have found that, if someone freaks out about "alien drones", trying to facilitate a discussion is almost futile.
      - pjc50 2y ago
        Large swathes of people are ignorant, though. It's just that now they can demonstrate that loudly on social media.
      - lioeters 2y ago
        I want to live in this world, where we're all part of a larger collective endeavor to discover the truth, to be more informed, learn continuously, and evolve together. That's the old-school philosophy and mission of science for the betterment of humanity.
  - asadalt 2y ago
    i see it as just accelerating normalizing cheap drones everywhere.
  - croes 2y ago
    https://x.com/ufoofinterest/status/1867668810171605394 https://x.com/ufoofinterest/status/1867668810171605394 https://x.com/DJSnM/status/1867763872465400226 https://x.com/DJSnM/status/1867763872465400226 https://x.com/TakeThatClouds/status/1867866332034932915 https://x.com/TakeThatClouds/status/1867866332034932915 https://x.com/MatthewCappucci/status/1868052013164134899 https://x.com/MatthewCappucci/status/1868052013164134899 It’s like throwing matches into a dumpster fire.
deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
ActorNightly 2y ago
The interesting/scary part is that its not that hard to weaponise these drones. You can make one drop a home made explosive pretty easily, fully autonomous. and then dump itself into a body of water. All for way less cost than a gun.
- toynbee_cunt 2y ago
  [dead]
- bubaumba 2y ago
  > home made explosive With this a lot of damage can be done even without drone. As for weaponized it's not a future, it's a reality in Ukraine for years now. Defense against them is difficult to impossible. A bodyguard who can sacrifice himself may sometimes work.
- JKCalhoun 2y ago
  It's not scary when it is just a hypothetical. If this were happening with some frequency it would be concerning. Until then I suspect there is something you are overlooking, oversimplifying. (EDIT: I'm assuming you are talking about non-military use.)
  - ActorNightly 2y ago
    Its one of those things where once you can buy "kits" for it, you may see its use. Ukraine war videos popularized the idea of using drones to drop explosives. I could see Cartels using this to take out targets.
    - hermitcrab 2y ago
      A rival cartel paid a British mercenary to drop 500lb bombs on Palbo Escobar in the 1990s. https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/sep/14/colombia.world https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/sep/14/colombia.world So it isn't an entirely new concept.
- idunnoman1222 2y ago
diggan 2y ago
> The US is having a mass hysteria event What is this in reference to? The Chinese weather-balloon drama was years ago, wasn't it?
- mathgeek 2y ago
  https://apnews.com/article/drones-new-jersey-what-to-know-e6f565f5d51d9d47ad140e7e7d131842 https://apnews.com/article/drones-new-jersey-what-to-know-e6...
  - diggan 2y ago
    Thanks! > Authorities say many of the drone sightings have actually been legal drones, manned aircraft, helicopters and even stars. > many state and municipal lawmakers have called for stricter rules about who can fly unmanned aircraft — and for the authority to shoot them down. Hard to find a more American article than this.
    - jbuzbee 2y ago
      "Hard to find a more American article than this." Just wait until they start taking pot-shots at them and then it will be "real" America: BOOM! "Look Ma! I done got one!"
    - edm0nd 2y ago
      humans are the virus
gitaarik 2y ago
The only way to cover up real sightings is with fake sighthings.

abracadaniel 2y ago

Judging from the posts I’ve seen, others have already started. Someone had a drone with a lit Roman candle going the other day. Or it was FAA compliant aliens. One of the two.

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
ok654321 2y ago
[flagged]
- igor47 2y ago
  Welcome to hacker News! Yes, we find ignorance funny. I think people adding fuel to the fire are the ones freaking out about aliens or Iranian mother ships. Pointing out that the this is a hysteria event is more akin to pouring water on the flames.
  - meaydinli 2y ago
    No, it is not "Hacker News" to paint a large swath of people as "ignorant". The proper way would have been to publish a detailed, technical analysis and present your ideas along with your proof to the greater community and facilitate a discussion.
    - omgwtfbyobbq 2y ago
      I think it's kinda both. Besides, everyone's ignorant about something. https://xkcd.com/1053/ https://xkcd.com/1053/
    - fc417fc802 2y ago
      [flagged]
    - phoronixrly 2y ago
      My guy, there are government officials that are sharing photos of the Orion constellation stating that it's a drone swarm just standing there over their property...
    - stavros 2y ago
      I like your optimism. Personally, I have found that, if someone freaks out about "alien drones", trying to facilitate a discussion is almost futile.
    - pjc50 2y ago
      Large swathes of people are ignorant, though. It's just that now they can demonstrate that loudly on social media.
    - lioeters 2y ago
      I want to live in this world, where we're all part of a larger collective endeavor to discover the truth, to be more informed, learn continuously, and evolve together. That's the old-school philosophy and mission of science for the betterment of humanity.
- asadalt 2y ago
  i see it as just accelerating normalizing cheap drones everywhere.
- croes 2y ago
  https://x.com/ufoofinterest/status/1867668810171605394 https://x.com/ufoofinterest/status/1867668810171605394 https://x.com/DJSnM/status/1867763872465400226 https://x.com/DJSnM/status/1867763872465400226 https://x.com/TakeThatClouds/status/1867866332034932915 https://x.com/TakeThatClouds/status/1867866332034932915 https://x.com/MatthewCappucci/status/1868052013164134899 https://x.com/MatthewCappucci/status/1868052013164134899 It’s like throwing matches into a dumpster fire.

deleted 2y ago

[deleted]

ActorNightly 2y ago

The interesting/scary part is that its not that hard to weaponise these drones. You can make one drop a home made explosive pretty easily, fully autonomous. and then dump itself into a body of water. All for way less cost than a gun.

toynbee_cunt 2y ago
[dead]
bubaumba 2y ago
> home made explosive With this a lot of damage can be done even without drone. As for weaponized it's not a future, it's a reality in Ukraine for years now. Defense against them is difficult to impossible. A bodyguard who can sacrifice himself may sometimes work.
JKCalhoun 2y ago
It's not scary when it is just a hypothetical. If this were happening with some frequency it would be concerning. Until then I suspect there is something you are overlooking, oversimplifying. (EDIT: I'm assuming you are talking about non-military use.)
- ActorNightly 2y ago
  Its one of those things where once you can buy "kits" for it, you may see its use. Ukraine war videos popularized the idea of using drones to drop explosives. I could see Cartels using this to take out targets.
  - hermitcrab 2y ago
    A rival cartel paid a British mercenary to drop 500lb bombs on Palbo Escobar in the 1990s. https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/sep/14/colombia.world https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2003/sep/14/colombia.world So it isn't an entirely new concept.
idunnoman1222 2y ago

diggan 2y ago

> The US is having a mass hysteria event What is this in reference to? The Chinese weather-balloon drama was years ago, wasn't it?

mathgeek 2y ago
https://apnews.com/article/drones-new-jersey-what-to-know-e6f565f5d51d9d47ad140e7e7d131842 https://apnews.com/article/drones-new-jersey-what-to-know-e6...
- diggan 2y ago
  Thanks! > Authorities say many of the drone sightings have actually been legal drones, manned aircraft, helicopters and even stars. > many state and municipal lawmakers have called for stricter rules about who can fly unmanned aircraft — and for the authority to shoot them down. Hard to find a more American article than this.
  - jbuzbee 2y ago
    "Hard to find a more American article than this." Just wait until they start taking pot-shots at them and then it will be "real" America: BOOM! "Look Ma! I done got one!"
  - edm0nd 2y ago
    humans are the virus

gitaarik 2y ago

The only way to cover up real sightings is with fake sighthings.