Today's lunch time conversation

[pensnest]

Beast: I was reading in Scientific American about some bizarre US military research projects. There's a nuclear hand-grenade. A one kilo-ton yield you can throw...

Pen: Wow. (pause) You'd need a pretty good arm.

Beast: I don't think they're worried about the practicalities. There's also a Star Trek-style transporter project.

Both: Bwahaha.

Comments

[chrismm.livejournal.com]

Dude. The bomb? Bad idea, as bombs always are, in my opinion. However, I've been saying we need the scientists to quit fucking around with bombs and build some kind of transporter system for years. That has practical applications--plus I wanna be able to dash down to have dinner with my mom in Eugene, or visit my out-of-state nieces and nephews, and be home in time to watch CSI.

[msktrnanny.livejournal.com]

That's out miliatry for you. Most countries would attempt to get the transporter thing fixed first, but I'll bet you we're more worried about making sure we can blow people up and already has an extensive cover up plan written out.

Sigh.

[zillahseye.livejournal.com]

OH MY GOD I totally think they need to get on that hand grenade. If you if they phased out bombs and shot the wad on hand grenades, that would end all nuclear war.

...well, except for suicide bombers.

Dammit.

[hegemony.livejournal.com]

It's really funny, actually. The transporter project is handled by DARPA, which is this cracky assed sci-thinktank in DC, that's trying to make up shit to see through walls with plain vision and everything, but the reason why the transporter isn't up and running yet is because all the funding's going to the bombs, and while it's a big honor to get into darpa, because they only accept and fund the best, youngest, and brightest (or crackiest) of scientists, all the scientists use it as a resume filler to get into the army/navy research labs or some other private lab to develop, you guessed it, bombs.

It's a bit of a vicious cycle, after you start thinking about it, long enough.