blue-cross on the way.
Never felt pity on cockroaches until today, it was really heavy, overweight.
What Cockroaches with Backpacks Can Do
21–27 of 27 posts
Re: What Cockroaches with Backpacks Can Do
#22Why stop at roaches? We could do this to dogs or small children! There's sometimes a tightrope between science and ethics, and this is just plain unethical. I'll start with the argument just about everyone can relate to. We all know this isn't going to actually help people in collapsed buildings or find lost wedding rings. It's going to be used by government spy agencies and military goons to control people in one wa…
If I saw a roach right now I would stomp it until it's dead. I wouldn't do the same with a puppy or a child.
Re: What Cockroaches with Backpacks Can Do
#23Why stop at roaches? We could do this to dogs or small children! There's sometimes a tightrope between science and ethics, and this is just plain unethical. I'll start with the argument just about everyone can relate to. We all know this isn't going to actually help people in collapsed buildings or find lost wedding rings. It's going to be used by government spy agencies and military goons to control people in one wa…
Deep brain stimulation is being used in humans.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_brain_stimulation
It's even being used to treat behavioral disorders.
Re: What Cockroaches with Backpacks Can Do
#24Yeah, to go into collapse earthquake buildings. Right.
Yeah, somehow I imagine the likely use case being more scoping out uncollapsed buildings before they experience an... anthropogenic "earthquake".
Re: What Cockroaches with Backpacks Can Do
#25Why stop at roaches? We could do this to dogs or small children! There's sometimes a tightrope between science and ethics, and this is just plain unethical. I'll start with the argument just about everyone can relate to. We all know this isn't going to actually help people in collapsed buildings or find lost wedding rings. It's going to be used by government spy agencies and military goons to control people in one wa…
> Why give soldiers a battle plan when you can just safely control them with a joystick from 3000 miles away?
Since we're speculating about the fairly far-off future, I don't see that ever being a more practical option than just building a robot. Humans are squishy, and a lot of people are spending a lot of money working on robotics, automation, and denser energy storage. We're already doing it with planes.
And supposing we're abandoning the ethical concerns completely, which side wins? The one with the mind-controlled humans, or the one with the mind-controlled cockroaches carrying aerosolized nerve agents?
Humans are, all things considered, not the most efficient way to fight wars. But we've collectively agreed (Geneva Convention, etc) that more efficient ways of fighting wars can be a very bad thing, and we banned methods like gas warfare after WWI. I think it's likely that mind-controlled humans (especially ones who didn't volunteer for it) would fall in the same boat.
Re: What Cockroaches with Backpacks Can Do
#26Why stop at roaches? We could do this to dogs or small children! There's sometimes a tightrope between science and ethics, and this is just plain unethical. I'll start with the argument just about everyone can relate to. We all know this isn't going to actually help people in collapsed buildings or find lost wedding rings. It's going to be used by government spy agencies and military goons to control people in one wa…
I hate this stupid kind of slippery slope argument. If you fear everything being used by the NSA (or whatever the current boogie-man is here on HN), you'll never make any progress. This type of technology could also be used by handicapped people to regain control of limbs in the distant future. It's not going to be some insane mind control device. It would be hundreds of years before we could even consider doing some…
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Re: What Cockroaches with Backpacks Can Do
#27Why stop at roaches? We could do this to dogs or small children! There's sometimes a tightrope between science and ethics, and this is just plain unethical. I'll start with the argument just about everyone can relate to. We all know this isn't going to actually help people in collapsed buildings or find lost wedding rings. It's going to be used by government spy agencies and military goons to control people in one wa…
I just love this quote: 'Asked if it hurts the roach, he says, "I don't think so. I haven't heard any complaints from them." ' I'm sure he's part joking, but some part of me is pretty concerned by the lack of empathy in that statement.
Maybe he's from New York? If you grow up in NYC you will never ever have "empathy" for cockroaches.