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$96 3D-printed rocket that recalculates its mid-air trajectory using a $5 sensor

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461–470 of 561 posts

Re: $96 3D-printed rocket that recalculates its mid-air trajectory using a $5 sensor

#461

When everyone started working on 3D-printed guns, I was sitting here thinking that if it comes to actual revolution, one is going to need anti-tank/anti-air a whole lot more than (relatively easy to acquire) small arms... Nice to see movement on this front

In the American context, hopefully it never comes to an actual revolution, because life for everyone will be much, much worse with little prospect of anything being better afterward. We should do what we can to avoid one, especially because while it's fun to fantasize about your side being the one to start a revolution, there's no reason to think that the other side won't also think the same way and maybe they'll bea…

> hopefully it never comes to an actual revolution, because life for everyone will be much, much worse with little prospect of anything being better afterward.

In the situations a revolution comes to exist, it is because life for everyone is already getting much, much worse with little prospect of anything being better. Nobody starts a revolution for funsies, so you're supposing a false dichotomy where the choice is between "plunge into hell for no reason" or "continue living a great life", when in fact the latter is not an option at all.

Re: $96 3D-printed rocket that recalculates its mid-air trajectory using a $5 sensor

#462
post #414

Regardless of whether this actually works (I have my doubts, but also understand it might be difficult to get range time on a device like this :)), it exposes a fundamental issue with arms control today. Small firearms are hundreds of years old. Drones have been commercially available for many years and are easily modifiable into something that is 80% as good as what is currently being fielded in Ukraine. It is not t…

These discussions always focus around enforcement and never on alignment. The moat for this stuff historically has never been strict enforcement; it has been that the people who have the know-how on how to do it have nothing to gain by doing it, since they are well-educated and benefit from the current socioeconomic order (they have no motive to change it; rather, they want to climb it). This is shifting. First, econ…

your argument here rests on whether someone with the know how to do these types of things will not be able to find a job in the near future. I’d call this unlikely

Re: $96 3D-printed rocket that recalculates its mid-air trajectory using a $5 sensor

#464

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the American context, hopefully it never comes to an actual revolution, because life for everyone will be much, much worse with little prospect of anything being better afterward. We should do what we can to avoid one, especially because while it's fun to fantasize about your side being the one to start a revolution, there's no reason to think that the other side won't also think the same way and maybe they'll bea…

> hopefully it never comes to an actual revolution, because life for everyone will be much, much worse with little prospect of anything being better afterward. In the situations a revolution comes to exist, it is because life for everyone is already getting much, much worse with little prospect of anything being better. Nobody starts a revolution for funsies, so you're supposing a false dichotomy where the choice is…

Exactly. Revolutions are awful things that are only defensible if the conditions are brutal enough. And even then, there has to be the caution that the revolution can be co-opted by infinitely worse people than those that were overthrown (take the Russian revolution, for example)

Re: $96 3D-printed rocket that recalculates its mid-air trajectory using a $5 sensor

#465

This guy is so preoccupied with whether or not he COULD manufacture his own guided missile, he didn’t stop to think if he SHOULD. Of course he could, anyone can these days. So the most important question is the latter.

If he can get a good cheap design to Ukraine - without Russia getting a hold of it - he should.

Re: $96 3D-printed rocket that recalculates its mid-air trajectory using a $5 sensor

#466

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the American context, hopefully it never comes to an actual revolution, because life for everyone will be much, much worse with little prospect of anything being better afterward. We should do what we can to avoid one, especially because while it's fun to fantasize about your side being the one to start a revolution, there's no reason to think that the other side won't also think the same way and maybe they'll bea…

> hopefully it never comes to an actual revolution, because life for everyone will be much, much worse with little prospect of anything being better afterward. In the situations a revolution comes to exist, it is because life for everyone is already getting much, much worse with little prospect of anything being better. Nobody starts a revolution for funsies, so you're supposing a false dichotomy where the choice is…

> Nobody starts a revolution for funsies

They definitely do, see the 1900s.

I think modern day Americans do not understand how bad war is because they’ve been engaged in it for nearly 30 years continuously without directly feeling the consequences.

Re: $96 3D-printed rocket that recalculates its mid-air trajectory using a $5 sensor

#467
post #466

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> hopefully it never comes to an actual revolution, because life for everyone will be much, much worse with little prospect of anything being better afterward. In the situations a revolution comes to exist, it is because life for everyone is already getting much, much worse with little prospect of anything being better. Nobody starts a revolution for funsies, so you're supposing a false dichotomy where the choice is…

> Nobody starts a revolution for funsies They definitely do, see the 1900s. I think modern day Americans do not understand how bad war is because they’ve been engaged in it for nearly 30 years continuously without directly feeling the consequences.

Which revolutions in the 1900s were started for fun? Unless you're considering CIA backed coups in that count?

Re: $96 3D-printed rocket that recalculates its mid-air trajectory using a $5 sensor

#468

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the American context, hopefully it never comes to an actual revolution, because life for everyone will be much, much worse with little prospect of anything being better afterward. We should do what we can to avoid one, especially because while it's fun to fantasize about your side being the one to start a revolution, there's no reason to think that the other side won't also think the same way and maybe they'll bea…

> hopefully it never comes to an actual revolution, because life for everyone will be much, much worse with little prospect of anything being better afterward. In the situations a revolution comes to exist, it is because life for everyone is already getting much, much worse with little prospect of anything being better. Nobody starts a revolution for funsies, so you're supposing a false dichotomy where the choice is…

> In the situations a revolution comes to exist, it is because life for everyone is already getting much, much worse with little prospect of anything being better.

Some folks want to hasten "a revolution" because (a) they think it's going to happen 'eventually' anyway so might as well get it over with, and (b) they think they can come out 'on top' and set up the new system the way they want it (because the current Enlightenment-based system(s) suck in their opinion):

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accelerationism

* https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dark_Enlightenment

Re: $96 3D-printed rocket that recalculates its mid-air trajectory using a $5 sensor

#469
post #439

I think with the proliferation and effectiveness of countermeasures passive target acquisition and first shot accuracy with traditional ballistic methods might be a better place to focus but I understand that's very hard to do nonprofessionally as an individual thanks to the rules and laws. On the other hand, there is a lot to be said for making them blow their $1k active countermeasures on your $500 missiles before…

This is called the shot exchange problem and is a very, very active area of work.

>> This is called the shot exchange problem and is a very, very active area of work.

And addressing that should also bring down the defense budget. Oh wait...

Re: $96 3D-printed rocket that recalculates its mid-air trajectory using a $5 sensor

#470

When everyone started working on 3D-printed guns, I was sitting here thinking that if it comes to actual revolution, one is going to need anti-tank/anti-air a whole lot more than (relatively easy to acquire) small arms... Nice to see movement on this front

I read a paper that was published by the US military about twenty years ago and a line that I'm going to paraphrase struck out at me: "The home made cruise missile will be the AK-47 of the 21st century.

I found this paper when I was reading about that guy in NZ who was trying to build a missile at home for $20k in around 2003-2004.

The cost for what he was trying to achieve is likely below $5k now, if you don't include access to machines like 3d printers that are pretty ubiquitous now.

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