tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8464498527698996815.post1508375386686144301..comments2024-03-03T03:20:20.957-05:00Comments on Ancient Faith in the Far Future: (Banned) Weapon Research in my TURobert Weaverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07917387796213598551noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8464498527698996815.post-26319398322154583012019-11-06T11:41:03.824-05:002019-11-06T11:41:03.824-05:00You forgot the classic Star Trek forbidden technol...You forgot the classic Star Trek forbidden technology : genetic engineering. For me, it's like nuclear power after Hiroshima and Nagasaki : sure, it can be used for peaceful purposes, but after the Eugenics Wars, the taboo about it is too great to even think about using it.Martin Siroishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11844043261472032428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8464498527698996815.post-78295568412250925842019-11-03T19:06:33.716-05:002019-11-03T19:06:33.716-05:00These make good plot hooks for adventures, and can...These make good plot hooks for adventures, and can get a variety of skill-sets involved. Everyone needs to be the star from time to time.Michael Thompsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07499151284629030483noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8464498527698996815.post-81885502436884484912019-11-03T16:47:12.816-05:002019-11-03T16:47:12.816-05:00So we can have PCs being quietly hired by star nat...So we can have PCs being quietly hired by star nation governments to chase down rumors of these weapons, or kidnap/rescue scientists involved with the projects, stealing or destroying lab notes, test models, all the way up to hijacking a starship mounted with a (possibly) working model. Mercenary units could be hired to go into enemy territory and destroy laboratories or workshops that may be building these kind of weapons.<br /><br />"We want you to go and blow up everything that you find."<br />"Why?<br />"Umm . . . they're doing bad things. Definitely do not go inside, or make copies of any of the computer drives there. Definitely don't take anything with you. Bring us proof that you've blown up everything."<br />"Right. Okay. How much are you paying for this?"Robert Weaverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07917387796213598551noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8464498527698996815.post-57347697657947992482019-11-02T11:22:55.710-04:002019-11-02T11:22:55.710-04:00Would a government or governments even announce th...Would a government or governments even announce that such weapons exist let alone that they might work? I'm thinking of the Streisand Effect here. If the Empire proclaims that success with Project X means Weapon Y using Effect Z is now outlawed and certain people are going to start looking into Effect Z in the hopes they too can build Weapon Y.<br /><br />Take the novichok nerve agent for example. The Soviets began researching it in the 70s and all sides had heard about it by the 80s. It was considered so potentially nasty, however, that everyone agreed NOT to publicly mention it even going as far as NOT mentioning it by name or type in various chemical weapon treaties. Everyone involved understood that novichok was implied to fall under the catch-all "Not Listed" category. It remained a "Burn Before Reading" secret worldwide for decades among the many scientists, bureaucrats, and military officials who were either briefed on it or stumbled across it. Precautions went as far a checking papers submitted to open scientific journals to make sure they contained no references to it.<br /><br />It was only after "someone" decided to use it in the UK in 2018 to try to assassinate and ex-GRU agent, that the existence of novichok was admitted publicly.<br /><br />I'm thinking that if the Empire's research concluded an ionic blaster, gravity imploder, or other such weapon was feasible, they'd prohibit such weapons under some deliberately vague description while also keeping a flinty eye on all those avenues of research which could give someone else the same ideas. While a pirate armed with an ionic blaster is still going to be stomped with alacrity, the Empire is going to announce it was done because he's a pirate and not because he possessed an ionic blaster. Bill Cameronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02987843264254276569noreply@blogger.com