sonia's flingo on magic(well, sort of...)
So in our desire to seamlessly blend fiction and reality, American scientists have been working for some time on an invisibility cloaking device, straight out of the pages of Harry Potter.
Ok, so it's not a cloak, and it won't hide you from evil wizards and witches. Scientists have engineered certain materials that, when hit with a light wave, bend the light instead of reflecting it, caused the object to be virtually invisible.
I have no problem with the progress of science, and I certainly find this a fascinating discovery. Despite my enthusiasm, however, I can't say that I look forward to the perfection of this technology.
While scientists cannot wait to find out more about these light-bending "metamaterials," the U.S. military cannot wait to get their grubby little paws all over them. With the possibility of making a tank invisible to the enemy, what could be a better weapon? We can see them ,but they can't see us, and the minute they turn away, we fire.
Is that really fair? Now, I know that life and war are not about fairness. But there is something about this situation that reminds me of shooting on an unarmed soldier. If you fire on a person without a gun, you haven't given them the chance to defend themselves, and there is very little honor to be gained from killing the indefensible. In the same strain, to kill people who can't even see you is not a victory of strength or force, but a magic trick.
What if we gave everyone access to this technology, some ask? Wouldn't that even the odds, give everyone a chance? Well, if they can't see you, and you can't see them, you really can't have a war, then, can you? Unless you kill innocent people who do not have the benefit of military invisibility.
While making magic real is something we all dream about as kids, I can't say that I can pursue that dream as an adult. Even if it was just for fun, the minute that politics gets in the way the game is over, and all we have to show for it is a bunch of invisible wars.
So in our desire to seamlessly blend fiction and reality, American scientists have been working for some time on an invisibility cloaking device, straight out of the pages of Harry Potter.
Ok, so it's not a cloak, and it won't hide you from evil wizards and witches. Scientists have engineered certain materials that, when hit with a light wave, bend the light instead of reflecting it, caused the object to be virtually invisible.
I have no problem with the progress of science, and I certainly find this a fascinating discovery. Despite my enthusiasm, however, I can't say that I look forward to the perfection of this technology.
While scientists cannot wait to find out more about these light-bending "metamaterials," the U.S. military cannot wait to get their grubby little paws all over them. With the possibility of making a tank invisible to the enemy, what could be a better weapon? We can see them ,but they can't see us, and the minute they turn away, we fire.
Is that really fair? Now, I know that life and war are not about fairness. But there is something about this situation that reminds me of shooting on an unarmed soldier. If you fire on a person without a gun, you haven't given them the chance to defend themselves, and there is very little honor to be gained from killing the indefensible. In the same strain, to kill people who can't even see you is not a victory of strength or force, but a magic trick.
What if we gave everyone access to this technology, some ask? Wouldn't that even the odds, give everyone a chance? Well, if they can't see you, and you can't see them, you really can't have a war, then, can you? Unless you kill innocent people who do not have the benefit of military invisibility.
While making magic real is something we all dream about as kids, I can't say that I can pursue that dream as an adult. Even if it was just for fun, the minute that politics gets in the way the game is over, and all we have to show for it is a bunch of invisible wars.
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