Star Wars scientists use laser gun to kill mosquitoes in fight against malaria

[mischievious]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sciencean...t-malaria.html

Bill Gates charity foundation has been funding this.

Is this a new way to get a scrapped project for a weapon of war back into production or a legitimate and practical use with great benefits?

Who knows but what a great story!

Seems Bill Gates has also been frightening rich people by setting mosquitoes on them:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sciencean...-TED-2009.html

[Kymmy]

Hmmm, Somehow I think the Luke Skywalker quote "we used to bulls eye swamp mossies back home, there not much bigger than 2 millimeters" just wouldn't have made it into the film

A computer triggers the laser beam which burns the wings off the mosquito and kills it.

Now there's a roomful of boffins who never really grew up ... but who needs a magnifying glass when you've got a laser?

[idi banashapan]

another example of how the human race is making it worse for itself. we think we are being kind by saving all these people with appeals and this kind of technology, but it simply means we are cancelling out natural selection, meaning countries have vastly higher populations and a growing debt to boot. take some of the African countries as an example. 1st world countries pour in money from charities and aid to save people, meaning there's more of them who will ultimately still need protection from whatever diseases we were protecting them from in the first place. they will continue to have families, meaning there's even more. basically, it's our fault so many people live in poverty and at risk of disease!

second to that, this is about using and advancing a weapon technology. doesn't matter how you coat it - it's weaponry first and foremost, even if at present it will only be used on insects!

[bw41101]

Methinks the phrase "to crack a nut using a sledgehammer" comes to mind. Suppose that's one way to justify the billions spent on the original programme.

Sigh.........................!

[budwieser]

Originally Posted by Bender

another example of how the human race is making it worse for itself. we think we are being kind by saving all these people with appeals and this kind of technology, but it simply means we are cancelling out natural selection, meaning countries have vastly higher populations and a growing debt to boot. take some of the African countries as an example. 1st world countries pour in money from charities and aid to save people, meaning there's more of them who will ultimately still need protection from whatever diseases we were protecting them from in the first place. they will continue to have families, meaning there's even more. basically, it's our fault so many people live in poverty and at risk of disease!

second to that, this is about using and advancing a weapon technology. doesn't matter how you coat it - it's weaponry first and foremost, even if at present it will only be used on insects!

" another example of how the human race is making it worse for itself. we think we are being kind by saving all these people with appeals and this kind of technology, but it simply means we are cancelling out natural selection, meaning countries have vastly higher populations and a growing debt to boot. take some of the African countries as an example. 1st world countries pour in money from charities and aid to save people, meaning there's more of them who will ultimately still need protection from whatever diseases we were protecting them from in the first place. they will continue to have families, meaning there's even more. basically, it's our fault so many people live in poverty and at risk of disease!"

Been saying this for a long time now Bender.

Originally Posted by Bender

another example of how the human race is making it worse for itself. we think we are being kind by saving all these people with appeals and this kind of technology, but it simply means we are cancelling out natural selection, meaning countries have vastly higher populations and a growing debt to boot. take some of the African countries as an example. 1st world countries pour in money from charities and aid to save people, meaning there's more of them who will ultimately still need protection from whatever diseases we were protecting them from in the first place. they will continue to have families, meaning there's even more. basically, it's our fault so many people live in poverty and at risk of disease!

second to that, this is about using and advancing a weapon technology. doesn't matter how you coat it - it's weaponry first and foremost, even if at present it will only be used on insects!

Depends if you think "how can we help?" or "frack 'em!" - me, I think we should help.

You could apply the same logic to those in the developed world whose lives are extended/enhanced by technology, such as diabetics, para/quadraplegics, partially-sighted people, cancer patients, etc - should we let "natural selection" take care of them as well?

[mischievious]

There are a few nuances here that I can't help noticing.

The mosquitoe killing laser is a tracking device to track the mosquitoe audibly, a computer will then fire the laser in order to destroy the source of that sound.

Sounds a lot like a prototype weapons program to me?

Can good be gotten out of it in the process, maybe? Since Bill Gates charity is funding the development and worried about the poor getting malaria, why is it that this kind of technology sounds well beyond any but the richest of persons price-band?

[idi banashapan]

Originally Posted by foreverwar

Depends if you think "how can we help?" or "frack 'em!" - me, I think we should help.

You could apply the same logic to those in the developed world whose lives are extended/enhanced by technology, such as diabetics, para/quadraplegics, partially-sighted people, cancer patients, etc - should we let "natural selection" take care of them as well?

it's a good point. taxes would go down. national insurance would be less. we would be less overcrowded. less immigrants coming into the country for free healthcare. more green areas due to less buildings needed. more housing available. less cars on the road. less harmful gasses being pumped into the atmosphere. healthier environment. less illness. and the cycle starts again.

maybe we should then...

[mischievious]

A better link:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/03/17/mosquito_laser/

Today it seems that the mosquito-blaster is considerably more advanced. Using parts apparently purchased on eBay, the boffins have assembled a Heath Robinson contraption of mirrors, Mag-lite illuminators, camera lenses and so on, and placed this fearful engine of insectoid genocide under the control of a Dell PC. Placed across the room from an empty fishtank filled with mosquitoes, the machine reaps a deadly harvest. The WSJ notes:

A mosquito hovers into view. Suddenly, it bursts into flame. A thin plume of smoke rises as the mosquito falls. At the bottom of the screen, the carcass smolders.

Myhrvold says the gear can already tell nice insects like butterflies from pestilential bloodsuckers

Still can't help thinking, make it bigger then:

"A person walks into view. Suddenly, they burst into flame. A thin plume of smoke rises as the person falls. At the bottom of the screen, the carcass smolders"

[danielf]

Originally Posted by foreverwar

Depends if you think "how can we help?" or "frack 'em!" - me, I think we should help.

You could apply the same logic to those in the developed world whose lives are extended/enhanced by technology, such as diabetics, para/quadraplegics, partially-sighted people, cancer patients, etc - should we let "natural selection" take care of them as well?

There also is the issue that when fewer people die, fewer people will need to be born to sustain a family. The population will decrease (or at least not grow as rapidly), which can only be a good thing.


Infant mortality by country

[mischievious]

Originally Posted by Bender

it's a good point.

Originally Posted by Bender

maybe we should then...

I might have brought too many concepts to the table

If you take this to the nth level we could always follow Billy Connelly's suggestion to the overcrowding issue, involves eating people though....

[idi banashapan]

Originally Posted by budwieser

Been saying this for a long time now Bender.

the problem is, this goes against the socially accepted moral standing, so although it is actually true, one can't express this opinion without the comment or spokesperson being ridiculed, taken out of context or burned at the stake!

I guess it's you and I then!!! lol. Sometimes the truth is crappy, but it's still the truth and highly undeniably so.

it's things like this that show up who comments in a realistic and honest manner, and those who comment in a political and public viewing manner.


those who wish to be seen as morally high and socially acceptable will say we should always help those in the 3rd world who overbreed because we are helping them stay alive, causing overpopulation. those who would rather just say it the way it is without worrying how people perceive them would say that the 1st world countries are to blame. but regardless of what stance you take on this, it is still the truth that the 1st world is aiding overpopulation by their do-gooding.

perhaps if we left the under developed 3rd world countries fend for themselves, they too would find a way to deal with things and develop their own methods. unfortunately, we (1st world) keep doing it for them, hindering their progression. it's like we are dumbing down entire nations.

if we continued to wipe our childrens bums without ever letting them learn how to do it, imagine what our lives would be like. we'd all need someone else to do our dirty work because we never learned how to do it ourselves.

---------- Post added at 20:46 ---------- Previous post was at 20:45 ----------

Originally Posted by mischievious

I might have brought too many concepts to the table

If you take this to the nth level we could always follow Billy Connelly's suggestion to the overcrowding issue, involves eating people though....

lol - yes - solves starvation and the overcrowding!!!! nice plan, Billy!!!

Is it me, or has their been an influx of Highlanders to the forum lately?

[idi banashapan]

Originally Posted by foreverwar

Is it me, or has their been an influx of Highlanders to the forum lately?

funny - my email to say you'd posted here told me you said something very different to that!