welcome to the future

[mellowtigger]

A few interesting toys of science have made the news recently.

The Lincoln Laboratory of MIT has spawned off a company called TeraDiode.  This company has announced a breakthrough in laser physics.  They created an optical system capable of combining several direct diode laser beams into a single beam capable of cutting through half an inch of steel.  The resulting technology is so powerful and so compact that they're actually talking about "laser guns" of science fiction fame!  They're pursuing both manufacturing and military applications for the technology.

Meanwhile, somebody at Japan's defense ministry has announced a flying reconnaissance device.  You have to see it to believe it.  (Note: The original CBS embed is failing.  You can also view the video at YouTube.)

I wish all the neat stuff wasn't so obviously tied to military uses, but still it's very cool to see fiction become fact!

Comments

[foeclan.livejournal.com]

Sadly, the military is often one of the few places that can 1) recognize the value of core research and 2) has the money to do anything about it. Thus many projects get funding from them so they can apply what they learn to other applications.

[mellowtigger]

My first real job, the summer after high school graduation, was for Texas Instruments. I was concerned at the time about my attention being used to support military applications, so I kept an eye open for potential conflicts with my ethics. I was ready to quit if it ever came to that point.

I was lucky, though. When I tested integrated circuits for quality control or worked on one of their databases for shipping, I saw that those particular products were going to plasma display screens at places like hospitals. So, to my knowledge, my contribution only helped to save people rather than to kill them.