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Missile Defense

Technology has always found its greatest consumer in a nation's war and defense efforts. Since the last attempts at a "Star Wars" defense system, has technology changed considerably enough to make the latest Missile Defense initiatives more successful? Can such an application of science be successful? Is a militarized space inevitable, necessary or impossible?

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lchic - 03:28pm Jul 11, 2002 EST (# 3000 of 17697)
ultimately TRUTH outs : TRUTH has to be morally forcing : build on TRUTH it's a strong foundation

Showalter - I got good feed back on this poem - (sci poetry)

Adults have secrets
lies and fictions

Live in their world
of contradictions

lchic - 03:59pm Jul 11, 2002 EST (# 3001 of 17697)
ultimately TRUTH outs : TRUTH has to be morally forcing : build on TRUTH it's a strong foundation

.... have never publicized their use of attack dogs for fear of awakening memories of the dogs used in Nazi death camps ...
^{http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Israel-Attack-Dogs.html}

rshow55 - 04:00pm Jul 11, 2002 EST (# 3002 of 17697)
Can we do a better job of finding truth? YES. Click "rshow55" for some things Lchic and I have done and worked for on this thread.

Some, but maybe I've been a little severe about them, in spots . . . though maybe not. Love your poem lchic 7/11/02 4:28pm . . . a prominant conservative made a similar point in words:

" The young are naturally romantic, and given to moral absolutes that necessarily make the real world of compromise, half-measures, and self-seeking appear corrupt."

...Chapter 1 .... Robert H. Bork, SLOUCHING TOWARDS GOMORRAH: Modern Liberalism and American Decline MD2639 rshow55 6/20/02 12:57pm

Let me dig around about MD issues that might be called "Any lies, fictions, contradictions" but might be referred to by softer words, such as "Self deceptions, false assumptions, wishful thinking and muddles." Problems that are no less of a concern, when subject to the softer language.

The kinds of careful accounting that we need in business is needed in engineering, too -- back in a while.

rshow55 - 04:03pm Jul 11, 2002 EST (# 3003 of 17697)
Can we do a better job of finding truth? YES. Click "rshow55" for some things Lchic and I have done and worked for on this thread.

lchic 7/11/02 4:20pm . . . if their radars had 10 to 100x the resolution x, y, z - - - their job would be easier. The programmer's job would be easier, too. Now, too much has to happen with statistics, big error bands, and "sense of smell."

The ATC job would be easier with the GPS system mazza referenced, onboard most planes, as well. . . .

mazza9 - 06:37pm Jul 11, 2002 EST (# 3004 of 17697)
"Quae cum ita sunt" Caesar's Gallic Commentaries

lchic: In 1972 I was the Tactical Communications Officer for the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot North Dakota. I was responsible for the aircrew training in the new FAA Mode 3 IFF/SIF air navigation system. It was updating the equipment so that 1940s era air traffic control would be replaced by the latest state of the art systems and procedures. Guess what, with minor modifications that is still the prevalent air traffic control hadware. Newt Gingrich used this fact in his stump speech for the 1996 election cycle when he pointed out that the US government was still the largest user of vacuum tubes. They were being bought to operate and maintain 1970s era tube computers!!!!!

Except for traffic approaching or departing an airport there is no need for "contollers" dictating the movement and separation of aircraft. Indeed it appears that an equipment down for maintenance and human error were the major contributing factor.

In the 60s it was posited that roadways would have control cables buried in the center of each lane so that cars could be controlled remotely. Digging up the highways was never cost effective but today, with wireless navigation systems and Internet access you can imagine how relatively easy it would be to use a combination of GPS, cell cite and internet access of a mapping database to control automobile traffic movements. Cars could be operated at maximum, fuel efficient speeds and accidents could be bypassed and traffic rerouted to imporve the efficiency of a highway system just as the packet switching moves messages over the Internet. Fuel would be saved as well a lives!! Rental cars and high end autos are being equipped with mapping software to aid in auto navigation. With the cost of computers coming down, wouldn't make sense for all things electronic, garage door opener, auto theft system, lap top GPS and auto navigating system, as well as DVD so you can watch your favorite movie as you "go over the river and through the woods"!

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