Monday, March 29, 2004

Posted here Monday, March 29, 2004 at 1:30:28 PM     Tech controlled by market, not by wisdom, nor any toehr social process,if it can be built, some will come. http://www.gizmo.com.au/public/News/news.asp?articleid=2750 Scubadoo is an underwater motorcycle which lets even inexperienced divers bop around under the waves. An integrated tank fills the dome with air, letting the driver breathe (and drink beer) normally while cruising at speeds of up to 2.5 knots. Initial price is recommended to be around $13,000, with the first units available in May. As a scuba diver, I'm torn: in the hands of an unconscientious pilot, the Scubadoo could cause a lot of damage to delicate marine habitats, yet I really want to ride around in the world's first underwater biker gang punching sharks. ********

Posted here Monday, March 29, 2004 at 1:26:55 PM     Technology can cause problems.. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/29/technology/29nano.html?ex=1081141200&;en=16276286ce5a855c&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE Buckyballs, the spherical carbon molecules important to many current nanotechology projects (and much of your future gadgetry), has been found to cause brain damage and affect liver cells in fish. While the doctor running the toxicity experiment cautioned that the discovery was "a yellow light, not a red one," the information does rekindle awareness of the potential dangers in creating new molecular structures that interact with our own tissue. Because even if buckyballs and carbon nanotubes lead to discoveries that make us a species of immortal superhumans, what kind of eternal utopia would it be if all the fish were retarded? Not one I'll be levitating cupcakes with my mind in, for sure   ********