Saturday, April 06, 2013

Dangers of dreaming

So recently I went to see Lindsey Stirling at a concert and one of the key messages of her concert is to not let life compose you, but make yourself that composer. It'll be hard, and it will be painful, but the reward will be life changing and unforgettable.

I absolutely love the message, which is why I'm a huge fan of hers. However, the band before her for the cover of the concert gave a grave message of being morally responsible. Especially to engineers and scientists.

At first, I was very offended at having my 2 greatest professions being singled out and openly blamed for the world going astray.

However, I understand their viewpoint, and I can only be apologetic for the bad consequences that followed some of our major developments.

In contrast to the bad, there is good. Many of America's reactors are actually converted nuclear weapons, and the internet has gone well beyond its initial military application and become a key component in peoples' ability to connect with others.

So why am I so sad or vividly affected by the messages of these 2 artists?

Because my dream could aid a very small portion of society, but it can also change the way we look at how scary and powerful we have come.

Let's get straight to the point between science, engineering and literature.

The concept in question I like to know it as the race to the Great Golem.

The Golem in the most modern sense would be the following science fiction characters and concepts:

Mobile Suit Gundam
Ironman
Mech Warrior

The idea being an armored shell that does not require a man's strength to wield, but possess the strength of Hercules, and the speed of Pegasus.

So far in this world we've had prototype concepts, fan cosplays, and even ludicrous statues with minor motion (Controls engineering term for very simple single axis rotation).

However, my dream is not just these "piddly" prototype toys that I arrogantly scoff at.  But something that can be mass produced, something that can be available for everyone.  So when my friends show me the great successes of professors, PhDs, Masters build 1 giant robot, build 1 human support system.  I laugh because when they built it, they didn't think about how to maunfacture it, how to simplify it's super complicated systems into something simple and repeatable.  They just built it to show off how much knowledge these few people have.  Well, I'm sorry to tell you elite few, but everyone has access to the same amount of knowledge, and can put it all together over 10 years of our personal spare time.

I'm not here to be that type of innovator.  I am here to be the next Henry Ford.  The one to mass produce something that people demand in the Great Golem.

It's a great and ambitious vision, but I have held myself back because of Moral Responsibility about the consequences of a mass produced Self-propelled suit of armor.

I would generaly state the Pros first, but let's be honest, most people will see the Cons way before the Pros.

Cons:
Intensify War by requiring stronger weapons to penetrate these new Armored Infantry troops.

The sheer volume of potential damage 1 of these suits can do to the general public is horrific.  Look at the IronMan universe.  Tony Stark had 1 suit, and he breaks himself out of a Taliban Mountain.  The series continues as the technology proliferates, the world gets crazier and harder to keep in order.  People get hurt badly or even die.

These Cons are so big, that it would be easier for governments to deal with "drones" than to invest in a system making "super-human" possible.

Pros:
Parapelgics, and other Physical disabilities can be aided, by external control, or internal cybernetics.  I'm personally not one for cybernetics like the Borg, but I know others who are, and I do support their endeavours.

PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) can be improved.  Imagine Fukushima occuring again, but instead of having suits that will only take so little radiation, why not build a powered-suit that is impervious to radiation?

Build Construction suits that allow personnel the impossibility of getting crushed under mines, or falling buildings.  Truly Hazard proof equipment suits for any need.

Unfortunately, these Pros, don't exactly outweigh the cons, and they come with their own individual ethical and cost effectiveness questions.

And so I ask you the society, where would you like me to go with my dream?

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