/oblig

Why do I suspect that said technology will mostly be used on marijuana and poppy fields?

Steam. I saw it demonstrated a while ago in Popular Science or somewhere. Towed device behind a tractor, applies high temp steam to the ground, wilts the weeds to death in one pass, no chemicals.

I have a device that can absolutely destroy weeds. It's a combination of a glass tube and a normal cigarette lighter.

Yeah, "weeds"

Sure.



I guess 150k is a small drop in the bucket of the trillions we've already sunk into this "war".

Any Pie Left: Steam. I saw it demonstrated a while ago in Popular Science or somewhere. Towed device behind a tractor, applies high temp steam to the ground, wilts the weeds to death in one pass, no chemicals.

BUT

they want a (dr evil quotes)"LASER"(close dr evil quotes)... possible named the alan parsons project...

You idiots actually think the Air Force wants this for drug control? Not nearly tin-foily enough.

He who relies on another for his food is a slave. This thing will be used on Predator Drones to eliminate civilian/unauthorized food crop production, thereby making the populace dependent upon the government. It will be blamed on Global Warming, of course. You will be obedient for your scraps of Monsanto Brand (tm) food product, or you will get none. Cheaper than eliminating you with Hellfire missiles, and will send a very clear message to those who remain. Obey.

\Also, HAARP or something.

FTA: "But before you start entertaining fantasies of mass botanical killings, keep in mind that the government will only accept solutions that don't "target personnel or wildlife"


As weeds are both wild and alive, aren't they "wildlife"?

/It's a trap!


/$150k
//LOL!

Snapper Carr: Yeah, "weeds"

Sure.

[static.howstuffworks.com image 400x401]

I guess 150k is a small drop in the bucket of the trillions we've already sunk into this "war".

Ok, I'm for legalized weed and all, but that's generally outside of the Air Force's whole MO. Not every last thing the government does is to screw you out of a bong hit, Cheech. Cutting the poppy production in Afghanistan would actually be a good thing, and in theory, such a device could be good for base maintenance jobs. Could even be a less asshole way to pull off another Operation Ranch Hand.

OK, can do! First, I'll need a medium shark.

Marine1: Cutting the poppy production in Afghanistan would actually be a good thing

More enforcement means less crop and a higher price paid to the smugglers, which means more money in the wrong hands.
In the long run it will probably make for more violence.
What they need is to devalue the crop so that its not worth more than growing food or other activities. Let ADM grow poppy closer to the source on an industrial scale, making it worthless to the cartels and sucking the funds away from terrorists.
You can treat drug addiction with doctors and medicine better than you can with soldiers and machine guns.

As for this laser thing: The job could be done with a propane flamethrower for less than $100.
They are either trying to find developers for some other program or its a cover... or the military is just being stupid with its money again.

way south: You can treat drug addiction with doctors and medicine better than you can with soldiers and machine guns.

That's un-American. Go back to Canada, commie!

way south: Marine1: Cutting the poppy production in Afghanistan would actually be a good thing

More enforcement means less crop and a higher price paid to the smugglers, which means more money in the wrong hands.
In the long run it will probably make for more violence.
What they need is to devalue the crop so that its not worth more than growing food or other activities. Let ADM grow poppy closer to the source on an industrial scale, making it worthless to the cartels and sucking the funds away from terrorists.
You can treat drug addiction with doctors and medicine better than you can with soldiers and machine guns.

As for this laser thing: The job could be done with a propane flamethrower for less than $100.
They are either trying to find developers for some other program or its a cover... or the military is just being stupid with its money again.

Depends on just how wide of an area you want to do at once. Are we talking a few cracks in the sidewalk and dandelions in a berm, or are we talking eliminating large patches of brush that obstruct LoS around bases? I'm willing to agree this could just be a case of the military being stupid with its money (it does that on a very consistent basis), but there certainly are practical applications for such a technology. $150,000 is almost nothing compared to what the military normally wastes, anyways... take that statement as you will.

I'd rather ADM put the farmland and resources (water, for example... that aquifer under the American Midwest isn't growing... it's shrinking) to another purpose than devaluing illicit drugs. I'm sure there are probably better ways of dealing with the opium problem in DarkAges-stan than guarding fields with expensive occupation forces, but growing the shiat yourself isn't something I see an economist recommending, especially with the planet's resources on the decline.

Lady and gentlemen of the Air force I'm please to introduce ....

THE BONG!

Capable of disintegrating weed in seconds, leaving only a black tar and pleasant smoke. (Side effects may include but are not limited to: smelly water spills, use of the word man, increase interest in Dr. Who, an unbearable hunger for Cheetos and Orange Soda.)

Where's my money?

Marine1: Snapper Carr: Yeah, "weeds"

Sure.

[static.howstuffworks.com image 400x401]

I guess 150k is a small drop in the bucket of the trillions we've already sunk into this "war".

Ok, I'm for legalized weed and all, but that's generally outside of the Air Force's whole MO. Not every last thing the government does is to screw you out of a bong hit, Cheech. Cutting the poppy production in Afghanistan would actually be a good thing, and in theory, such a device could be good for base maintenance jobs. Could even be a less asshole way to pull off another Operation Ranch Hand.

Actually no. At least in SouthCom (Latin America below the Mex-Guat border) the Air Force has primary responsibility for DoD counterdrug operations. I was US Forces Commander for a year remote at FOL-Manta, the big counterdrug base we built in Ecuador after closing down Howard AFB, Panama. That said, I'm not sure who runs DoD counterdrug ops in CentCom.

\is interested in this technology

Given that the USAF probably spends $150k per year controlling weeds on any single base, and that they have to file environmental impact statements whenever they spray chemicals around... It's entirely possible that they want this technology for exactly what they say they want it for.

Yeah, I know... That's no fun to speculate upon.

/ puts tinfoil hat back on

I've constructed a persona that will deter, disrupt, deny, or degrade any chance at a stable relationship. Whaddya think they'll pay me?

From the Air Force

Private industry has been actively engaged in the research, development, and deployment of various physical control technologies utilizing microwave radiation (as heat), lasers, and sound to deter, disrupt, deny, or degrade the desired objective. Thermal technologies such as foam, hot water, steam and quenched hot gases to physically rupture cell membranes within young, vigorous green weeds to shut down the plant's capacity for photosynthesis, has been explored as a means for safe, effective weed control . The technological challenge is to develop a device that would effectively destroy weeds in various growth stages from seeds to maturity using some form of directed energy in designated areas

You know... I could build the device if I could get a little help on image recognition. And we wouldn't bother with the laser... Think (redacted for possible patentablity).

Makh: I hope this is in no way used on food crops.

Don't worry, the $20 million in cash and prefered stock Monsanto gave me to not submit my invention to the Air Force means it won't be anytime soon.

That's been on their SBIR list for a year or more.

Marine1: I'd rather ADM put the farmland and resources (water, for example... that aquifer under the American Midwest isn't growing... it's shrinking) to another purpose than devaluing illicit drugs. I'm sure there are probably better ways of dealing with the opium problem in DarkAges-stan than guarding fields with expensive occupation forces, but growing the shiat yourself isn't something I see an economist recommending, especially with the planet's resources on the decline.

I'll admit I was being theatrical with the ADM example, or maybe not...

Pound for pound we don't grow that much in the way of drugs but we do spend a hefty chunk of change on it. Both as buyers and to fight the drug war along with its consequences. All those extra people in jail, all the gang violence, the crime, the war on terror, and correcting all the regional instabilities that result. Its all fueled by the current drug policy.
I would hazard a guess that the US probably spends more money dealing with drugs than it does on all the corn crops and subsidies combined. The treasury is being drained faster than the aquifers would be to support a local crop yield in poppy of just a few hundred ton.
Mayhaps we won't even need that much since there's far less loss in direct distribution than in smuggling.
We simply cut out the messy middlemen who keep wrecking our neighborhoods and foreign policy.
That would be what's best for Afghanistan.

The money and lives spared by redirecting the drug wars efforts should be more than enough to fix the damage to our farms.

Over in one. It was like lasing a stick of dynamite!

Please no. In 10-15 years local PD's will have lasers mounted with their semi-constitutional FLIR units ready to give alleged cancer to anyone unlucky enough to be nearby.

Either that or Monsanto is getting really angry about their seeds blowing into unsuspecting corn fields.

butt-nuggets,
If mary jane was ever legalized I would be expecting round-up ready non-organitic, high THC versions where it would be illegal to replant the seeds.

Enemabag Jones: Please no. In 10-15 years local PD's will have lasers mounted with their semi-constitutional FLIR units ready to give alleged cancer to anyone unlucky enough to be nearby.

Either that or Monsanto is getting really angry about their seeds blowing into unsuspecting corn fields.

butt-nuggets,
If mary jane was ever legalized I would be expecting round-up ready non-organitic, high THC versions where it would be illegal to replant the seeds.

You don't have to replant the seeds. You can just use cuttings and a little root starter and presto, your very own cloned plant.

\it would be hilarious if they put in the selling agreement to to plant the seeds but forgot this

I'm thinking if we can

1. Kill the seeds (sterilize) or
2. Target the stems (burn them) or
3. Screw up the clock (early budding)

\Make the check out to 'cash'

Raster scan/spinning mirror.

Pay up

Thats like, not cool man...what has the weed done to them?

Sultan Of Herf: Thats like, not cool man...what has the weed done to them?

Put out seeds that clog the engines in their jet fighters. You don't break the military's toys and live, even if you are only a plant.

Oh hey, a thread full of people who know nothing about SBIR... from TFA that knows nothing about SBIR.

meddleRPI: Oh hey, a thread full of people who know nothing about SBIR

By my count, there are three of us here who do.