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Do you realise that almost all the development of early computers was to contribute to the war effort? Usually to get things done, you have to create things tha

Do you realise that almost all the development of early computers was to contribute to the war effort? Usually to get things done, you have to create things that help a subset of mankind in a specific way.

danbruc 13y ago
I realize that. And not only the computer stuff but a lot of things in different areas from advances in medicine to rocket technologies. But why should we continue this road? We have been living in a world where you can no longer have any serious war for more than 60 years. There are nuclear weapons and having a war is just the dumbest thing you could do. You can still invade Iraq or Chechnya or Ukraine and beat down a less powerful state but for this we have more then enough weapons, no need to get new ones.
- anigbrowl 13y ago
  This isn't a weapon, it's an easy-to-fly truck (whereas helicopters are notoriously difficult to fly). Armies need trucks, for humanitarian missions as well as conflicts. Some companies target the military as a first customer because if a product does what they need they'll buy at scale and you can recoup the development costs in a much shorter timeframe.
- Avshalom 13y ago
  Because if we ever scale the military-industrial complex back we might find out that automation has destroyed even more jobs than the wildest luddite fears. ... I mean or not but it's a trillion dollars or so a year you can't cut spending without destroying the entire state of new mexico.
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
- Theodores 13y ago
  You are right, plus this is an absurd over-sized gadget. I doubt you could pack it into an aircraft carrier that easily. And if you did get it off to its 'humanitarian military duties' imagine, trundling along a road, taking up both carriageways, I am sure that a few kids with rocks could disable those rotors if the telegraph poles don't get there first. It has no real application hence it is a military 'maybe we need one of these too' gadgets.
  - lotsofmangos 13y ago
    Look again. It is less than a lane wide with the blades stowed.
Zigurd 13y ago
And recent events confirm the wisdom of that course. Wait...

danbruc 13y ago

I realize that. And not only the computer stuff but a lot of things in different areas from advances in medicine to rocket technologies. But why should we continue this road? We have been living in a world where you can no longer have any serious war for more than 60 years. There are nuclear weapons and having a war is just the dumbest thing you could do. You can still invade Iraq or Chechnya or Ukraine and beat down a less powerful state but for this we have more then enough weapons, no need to get new ones.

anigbrowl 13y ago
This isn't a weapon, it's an easy-to-fly truck (whereas helicopters are notoriously difficult to fly). Armies need trucks, for humanitarian missions as well as conflicts. Some companies target the military as a first customer because if a product does what they need they'll buy at scale and you can recoup the development costs in a much shorter timeframe.
Avshalom 13y ago
Because if we ever scale the military-industrial complex back we might find out that automation has destroyed even more jobs than the wildest luddite fears. ... I mean or not but it's a trillion dollars or so a year you can't cut spending without destroying the entire state of new mexico.
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
Theodores 13y ago
You are right, plus this is an absurd over-sized gadget. I doubt you could pack it into an aircraft carrier that easily. And if you did get it off to its 'humanitarian military duties' imagine, trundling along a road, taking up both carriageways, I am sure that a few kids with rocks could disable those rotors if the telegraph poles don't get there first. It has no real application hence it is a military 'maybe we need one of these too' gadgets.
- lotsofmangos 13y ago
  Look again. It is less than a lane wide with the blades stowed.

Zigurd 13y ago

And recent events confirm the wisdom of that course. Wait...