[onoway]

I am bemused to see that the first use they can think of for this is for war...we are such a confused species..we could do so much and all we can think of , it seems, is newer and different ways to get at each other to do harm..
http://www.livescience.com/technology/0808...ing-device.html

[kfay]

I'm not surprised at all. Doesn't the who idea of concealment lend itself to this genre of human interaction?

Honestly I can only think of really 1 use otherwise and that would be observation of animal species or something like that. And the technology, I'm sure, is very far away from being affordable to that profession.

But then again I'm lacking in the creativity department; more so today, I feel, than usual.

[blackshoe]

Quote

Among the real applications pondered for the future of real-world cloaking technology: stealth military devices and new medical techniques.

Doesn't sound to me like "the first use they can think of is for war" — except maybe for those people who sees "the ***** military" as the boogie man in everything.

[jdonn]

The first use that came into my mind was for police work, such as sting operations. Even just to cloak something as basic as a video camera.

[kenberg]

I assume that Lamont Cranston was the lead scientist? Who know what evil lurks in the heart of man!

Media folks need to explain that scientific advances are good for something since simply advancing knowledge doesn't sell. Also, the scientists want more funding. Lots more if they can get it. Explaining that it will help us go bomb someone is always a winner.

[onoway]

"Doesn't sound to me like "the first use they can think of is for war" — except maybe for those people who sees "the ***** military" as the boogie man in everything. "

Hmmm it seemed to me that "stealth military devices " implied something other than peaceful co-existence for mutual advantage.
Merriam-Webster's dictionary:
Main Entry: 1mil·i·tary
Pronunciation: \ˈmi-lə-ˌter-ē\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from Latin militaris, from milit-, miles soldier
Date: 15th century
1 a: of or relating to soldiers, arms, or war b: of or relating to armed forces; especially : of or relating to ground or sometimes ground and air forces as opposed to naval forces
2 a: performed or made by armed forces b: supported by armed force
3: of or relating to the army

and

"Media folks need to explain that scientific advances are good for something since simply advancing knowledge doesn't sell. Also, the scientists want more funding. Lots more if they can get it. Explaining that it will help us go bomb someone is always a winner."

too true, Ken. Now if the only people able to use it were Lamont Cranston clones it would indeed be an advance for humanity!

"