Misused Scientific Discoveries

[DrDNA]

Holy hell I barely recognized Leslie Nielsen...

 

BTW.. I'm ordering that movie.. I know it's classified "a classic" but I have never heard about it before....

 

Ah, btw, *finally* I see where Paris from Startrek:Voyager took the robot from...

 

 

That movie gets played on the classic channels, like AMC and TCM every now and then. It was way ahead of it's time. In fact Gene Roddenberry has been quoted as stating that it was a major influence for the Star Trek series.

 

The robot is Robbie The Robot. He was very famous. The first robot star. Besides that movie, he was the model for a robot toy that many kids played with in the 50s and 60s. He made appearances on several other movies and TV shows. I remmeber him from an episode of Gilligan's Island, The Twilight Zone, and an episode of Lost in Space, in which he was an evil robot.

[ghstofmaxwll]

That movie gets played on the classic channels, like AMC and TCM every now and then. It was way ahead of it's time. In fact Gene Roddenberry has been quoted as stating that it was a major influence for the Star Trek series.

 

The robot is Robbie The Robot. He was very famous. The first robot star. Besides that movie, he was the model for a robot toy that many kids played with in the 50s and 60s. The Twilight Zone,

That was the very same robot costume? I didnt realize that.......It was of course the "Uncle Simon " episode, yeah? They used the toy model for "One for the angels"?....I have just about all the DVDs released of that show.

[iNow]

Per the thread topic... It hasn't happened yet, but one can imagine our work right now in Synthetic Biology coming back and biting us in the ... erm... law of unintended consequences.

[swansont]

The automobile results in, what, 20,000 deaths per year in the US alone?

 

But are these intentional? A result of use for which they were not intended? Or just an example of levels of risk in everyday life changng with technology?

[Pangloss]

But are these intentional? A result of use for which they were not intended? Or just an example of levels of risk in everyday life changng with technology?

 

Ok, I think I see the distinction you (and mooeypoo) are making, and you're right, it's not the same thing.

 

What about tanks (the military vehicles), as a development based on farm tractors?

[DrDNA]

What about the one and a half car garage? Major suicide weapon.

[mooeypoo]

Ok, I think I see the distinction you (and mooeypoo) are making, and you're right, it's not the same thing.

 

What about tanks (the military vehicles), as a development based on farm tractors?

 

I had no idea that's where they came from... that's awesome, thanks

 

Btw.. uhm, you have any references? Wikipedia's explanation of the history starts with the first tank and says nothing of farm tractors...

 

Thanks

 

~moo

[john5746]

Hydrogen cyanide "Prussian Blue"

 

Used to make a nice blue dye, also used to exterminate Jews. Ironically, may have been instrumental in the beginning of life!

[iNow]

I had no idea that's where they came from... that's awesome, thanks

 

Btw.. uhm, you have any references? Wikipedia's explanation of the history starts with the first tank and says nothing of farm tractors...

Try here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tanks_in_World_War_I#Conceptual_roots_of_the_tank

[mooeypoo]

Hydrogen cyanide "Prussian Blue"

 

Used to make a nice blue dye, also used to exterminate Jews. Ironically, may have been instrumental in the beginning of life!

 

I've done some basic research --- I can't see an obvious connection between the discovery of Prussian Blue (1704) and the transference of it to a poison...

 

The idea of cyanide in general is interesting, though. I will go on researching that more.. if oyu have any links or references, I'd appreciate it

 

Thanks!

 

~moo

 

Further investigation gave this:

 

http://www.physics.uoguelph.ca/summer/scor/articles/scor176.htm

 

 

Full link between "Prussian Blue" and Hydrogen Cyanide.

 

Thanks john

[john5746]

Sorry Moo, should have provided links to save some time.

 

I think someone already mentioned, but drugs like tobacco, cocaine and alcohol started as medicines I think. The history of cocaine is really interesting.

[mooeypoo]

Hm.. I'm researching cocaine now, but I want something more "INTENTIONALLY hurtful".. something a group, or government, took advantage of to do harm.

 

It's for the purpose of the story, setting the grounds for the ethical debate of the plot. That's why I'm very specific That said, everything raised here is REALLY interesting. I'm having lots of fun researching these.

 

Thanks

 

~moo

[DrDNA]

Hm.. I'm researching cocaine now, but I want something more "INTENTIONALLY hurtful".. something a group, or government, took advantage of to do harm.

 

It's for the purpose of the story, setting the grounds for the ethical debate of the plot. That's why I'm very specific That said, everything raised here is REALLY interesting. I'm having lots of fun researching these.

 

Thanks

 

~moo

 

Well, LSD might fit the bill. It started out pretty harmless and then the CIA started messing around with it.

http://www.a1b2c3.com/drugs/lsd09.htm

[mooeypoo]

Well, LSD might fit the bill. It started out pretty harmless and then the CIA started messing around with it.

http://www.a1b2c3.com/drugs/lsd09.htm

 

 

I didn't know that.. I thought it was used by people who weren't aware it is addictive and harmful, and then was abused by people...

 

This is very interesting, and indeed seems to fit! thanks!!

 

 

~moo