US military digs Darth Vader's origins

[shreddermon]

Your tax dollars at work.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7315840/

[img]/images/graemlins/brow.gif[/img]

[Soloist1]

Re: US military digs Darth Vader\'s origins

Isn't that what our tax dollars are for? I don't mind giving my share to help our troops out over there. After all their the ones dying and getting wounded in battle while we're sitting comfortably at home.

[shreddermon]

Re: US military digs Darth Vader\'s origins

Come on, man. This ain't an anti-"support the troops" thing. That's a low blow, and nowhere near what I meant.

Battlefield surgical robots in armored vehicles? Dude, the technology ain't there. And ain't going to be in the foreseeable future.

Wasted tax dollars, IMHO. Boondoggle money better spent on other more important things. Like, for instance, providing ARMOR for the vehicles our troops drive in Iraq. [img]/images/graemlins/poke.gif[/img]

[Soloist1]

Re: US military digs Darth Vader\'s origins

The artilce said there are already similar units used in hospitals already. It's 12 million dollars. They spend more on TP a week than that.

[shreddermon]

Re: US military digs Darth Vader\'s origins

"..researchers caution that the project remains at least a decade away from appearing on any battlefields..."

And "only $12 million"? Tell that to some of these guys...

http://www.thememoryhole.org/war/wounded/

[Soloist1]

Re: US military digs Darth Vader\'s origins

Your the one bitching about your tax dollars. Not me. Maybe Stienbrenner can pay one less bat boy this year to fund the research.

[donf]

Re: US military digs Darth Vader\'s origins

Hey, Hey, Hey [img]/images/graemlins/brow.gif[/img].....do I sense a Yankee bashing hijack here. [img]/images/graemlins/brow.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[shreddermon]

Re: US military digs Darth Vader\'s origins

Maybe, instead, Damon can donate his proceeds from appearing on "Queer Eye for the Hairy Guy". [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Soloist1]

Re: US military digs Darth Vader\'s origins

Just because we're in the here and now doesn't mean you shouldn't plan for the future. The research looks like it's based on a broader idea stemming from the problems our troops are currently facing. Adding armor to Humvee's and other vehicles would definitely add protection. But it won't render the insurgent attacks useless. There is only so much armor you can throw on any vehicle before it won't function properly.

[Soloist1]

Re: US military digs Darth Vader\'s origins

That already went to rebuilding some kids little league field in Florida. My point is that 12 million dollars is a small R&D number compared to many. It's not like this is anything new. The military has been spending tax dollars the same way for years. He'll they are spending tons now trying to find a new weapon for Army personal to carry. They want a gun that fires the 5.56mm round in four different variants. A assault rifle, a compact rifle, a sniper rifle and a light machine gun. They have done tons of testing and still don't have the gun they want. Last I heard they threw the bid out for anyone on the market to step up and come up with the right gun.

[LRGman]

Re: US military digs Darth Vader\'s origins

The technology can be engineered at this point its just at what cost. This is as good of investment as any because the uses are not just military. If something like this was made it could also be used in ambulances on the scene in life threatening situations.

Did you read the article. The last one designed is now in hospitals. Much better use of our tax dollars than killing them and 12 million is meger for goverment investment.

Also nothing I would rather have my tax dollars on than saving lives or potentially body parts.

[metallicarocks]

Re: US military digs Darth Vader\'s origins

[ QUOTE ]
Wasted tax dollars, IMHO. Boondoggle money better spent on other more important things. Like, for instance, providing ARMOR for the vehicles our troops drive in Iraq.

[/ QUOTE ]
I don't know about wasted tax dollars, but you read my mind on the Armor for the vehicles!

It's hard to say exactly where we are technologically, as it is advancing so fast some of the projects that would be good ideas I think get left in the dust. I think that the main problem is defense, let's get some hella armor going on. Yeah that's great that it can fix somebody, but if it gets blown the fuck up they're going to need a little more than "scalpel and stitch".

And also, does this line make you a little nervous?
[ QUOTE ]
The "trauma pod" has to keep connected wirelessly without giving away its position to the enemy, and it has to be nimble and hardy enough to perform under fire.


[/ QUOTE ]
Now wait a minute, this thing is slicing somebody open yet "nimble and hardy enough to perform under fire"? Fuck that! I wouldn't let something cut me open while bouncing around a battlefield.

Just my opinion. Intention is good, and power to them. I hope they at least find something out to build a foundation for another project.

[Newc]

Re: US military digs Darth Vader\'s origins

Need armor? Jump up Firestone Industrial Product's ass for it, cuz I guarantee we've got at least 4 500+ ft coils of 22" wide solid USA steel sitting in the factory I work in that is literally rusting to pieces and could be better served as armor plating today. They bitch about having to pay the taxes on it at the end of the year but won't call the local Reserve and donate it. Hell we've got smaller rolls that can be cut into individual body armor plates, but it sits in the same spot day in, day out. [img]/images/graemlins/brow.gif[/img]
And they put a cardboard box out front asking for troop donations of toothpaste, flea collars, books, and phone cards [img]/images/graemlins/brow.gif[/img]

Worse comes to worse, you can launch a flat steel plate out of a makeshift catapult into a crowd and decap about 20 people if you had to. Or just beat them to death with it.
Hell, just roll one of the coils into a crowd. It'll crush the ones the ones too stupid to move and if it decoils the whiplash will kneecap the rest of them.

And yeah, that robot is a bad idea. With the money civilian doctors are raking in over here in the States, not to mention Harvard Medical School, Uncle Sam can't find a few good surgeons?
That 12 million would be better served putting a few recruits through Med School to serve as battlefield surgeons than for some computer geeks to give a surgeon a safe place to operate from.
Hell, ya wanna build a remote battlebot? Build one that the SOLDIERS can control from a safe place and still get the job done.

[donf]

Re: US military digs Darth Vader\'s origins

[ QUOTE ]
Worse comes to worse, you can launch a flat steel plate out of a makeshift catapult into a crowd and decap about 20 people if you had to. Or just beat them to death with it.
Hell, just roll one of the coils into a crowd. It'll crush the ones the ones too stupid to move and if it decoils the whiplash will kneecap the rest of them.

[/ QUOTE ]

That'll work! [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] I was thinking, if you took one Humvee, put two dummy soldiers in it, painted it red, white and blue, have the national anthem blaring from it, you could then radio control the car down the middle of the street and wait for all the cockroaches to climb all over it. Detonate it when it gets to the "Rockets Red Glare" part. You could probably take out 50/100 or these slimballs.
Oh, that would be soooooo cool............... [img]/images/graemlins/drool2.gif[/img]

[StukaJU87]

Re: US military digs Darth Vader\'s origins

[img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] @ DonF. That is some funny shit bro. [img]/images/graemlins/notworthy.gif[/img]