Interesting item on the BBC website today about new discoveries relating to the way bats hover. All good stuff, then it says:
"The findings could be used to improve the design of tiny aeroplanes used in surveillance."
Have you noticed the way, when any new direction in research of almost any kind is revealed, the possible practical use suggested is always military or concerned with control of the people?
Were it known that a cure for AIDS or cancer could somehow be used as a weapon, it would be developed within a bloody twelvemonth.
Well look at the military budgets, they have a shit ton of money to throw at this sort of thing but also consider that a lot of the military research is being thrown at stuff that stops the servicemen getting killed, cheap remote drones are a very obvious example.Originally Posted by SKIRRID5
As for medical research a lot of that nowadays is focussed on genetic and cellular manipulation, especially conditions where there isn't a simple single mechanism to try and defeat (cancer).
Pure science researchers have to get money wherever they can these days.
Mongrel - making sure the servicemen don't get killed is another way of saying making sure the other side's servicemen do. It would be nicer if the thrust were toward stopping people in general being killed by disease or other natural dangers. Anyway, don't you reckon these little drones are likely to be used by government to keep an eye on the rest of us?
Well I don't think the unique aerodynamics of a bats wing holds the secret to removing aggression from the human psyche and until you can do that we're going to have wars, whether you support them or not.
There's still a shed load of money being pumped into medical research, look at the 5 year survivability for most forms of cancer compared to 30-40years ago. Progress is still being made but it's in small increments, it's not sexy enough to be news and even when the medical community has good news it's marred by nutters. Give it a few more years when the current round of research reaches fruition and you'll probably see some headlines thenIt would be nicer if the thrust were toward stopping people in general being killed by disease or other natural dangers.
They already use them, more so for trouble spots and protests rather than an everyday thing but the technology has been around for a while.Anyway, don't you reckon these little drones are likely to be used by government to keep an eye on the rest of us?
Nope, misconception there. Two to six years lab work, clinical trials and all the fun of the Ethics committee. By the time it does get to market they've only got 3 or 4 years till the patent expires so they have to balance the price between profit of all the above but not expensive enough that the NHS\ Insurance will refuse to subsidise it, either way they'll get called greedy money-grubbing bastards.Were it known that a cure for AIDS or cancer could somehow be used as a weapon, it would be developed within a bloody twelvemonth.
K- Quick check of New Scientist (1st March) for 'human interest';
Evolution - antibiotics, cancer research off the top of my head
Maize Genome sequencing - Breeding drought and disease resistant crops
RF waves may be used to detect an earthquake
A 'cocktail of drugs' has regrown the necessary pancreatic cells to reverse diabetes
Nano technology - once this is commercially viable it'll impact every facet of technology and our lives
And of course a lot of stuff about global warming.
May I suggest you subscribe to some different periodicals
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