# Bad ideas from science fiction that scientists seem hell bent to pursue anyway **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 20, 2021, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-ideas-from-science-fiction-that-scientists-seem-hell-bent-to-pursue-anyway/940356 "2021-04-20T05:40:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bonum\_Legatum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bonum_legatum/32/6183_2.png) [@Bonum\_Legatum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bonum_Legatum)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-ideas-from-science-fiction-that-scientists-seem-hell-bent-to-pursue-anyway/940356/21 "2021-04-21T11:08:53Z")
Everyone remembers the story “A Logic Named Joe” which describe a primitive internet, but here’s a story that forecast election tampering, woo sites, etc. “I remember Babylon” by Arthur C. Clarke. To paraphrase Wikipedia: The story takes the form of a non-fiction article by Clarke in which he warns the United States that the People’s Republic of China is planning to launch a communications satellite to broadcast directly to Americans. The satellite will offer an uncensorable mix of pornography , gore and photographic evidence from the Nuremberg trials - (as a come-on for), communist propaganda. The American who reveals the plan to Clarke boasts that “History is on our side. We’ll be using America’s own decadence as a weapon against her, and it’s a weapon for which there’s no defence”. For a WWII equivalent, see the non-fiction book “Black Boomerang” by Sefton Delmer ---
**Author:** ![Brayne\_Ded](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Brayne\_Ded](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brayne_Ded)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-ideas-from-science-fiction-that-scientists-seem-hell-bent-to-pursue-anyway/940356/22 "2021-04-21T12:00:55Z")
" Scientists release a substance into the atmosphere to block the suns rays to combat global warming;" No need to do that, just wait for a big volcanic eruption. The effects usually only last a few years. although I have seen reports that a mega-volcano such as Yellowstone would have much more dramatic effects and for far longer. Blocking or obscuring the sun could well be possible, but an article somewhere (was in the New Scientist?) said that the real issue is to reduce CO2 levels. Various other ideas have been mooted, such as initiating more cloud cover to reduce the amount of solar radiation. The question here is whether more clouds might lock in the heat. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-ideas-from-science-fiction-that-scientists-seem-hell-bent-to-pursue-anyway/940356/23 "2021-04-21T12:06:18Z")
There is so much controversy surrounding human police that a robotic police force may eventually be inevitable. The argument would be that they wouldn’t feel the fear that sometimes provokes police into firing prematurely. They would have a wider spectrum of vision, which would allow them to determine much more accurately whether or not a suspect has a weapon. In fact, they could even be programmed to allow the suspect to fire first, thus removing all doubt regarding their use of force. As machines, they would have a uniform methodology that wouldn’t be affected by the race, gender, or religion of suspects. It sounds like I’m touting this to be the greatest thing since sliced bread, and the OP asked for “bad ideas”. That’s because I truly believe that, despite its seemingly good points, the whole project would go sideways very badly. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-ideas-from-science-fiction-that-scientists-seem-hell-bent-to-pursue-anyway/940356/24 "2021-04-21T12:40:31Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > It sounds like I’m touting this to be the greatest thing since sliced bread, and the OP asked for “bad ideas”. That’s because I truly believe that, despite its seemingly good points, the whole project would go sideways very badly. See Jack Williamson’s classic short story _With Folded Hands_ (or **The Humanoids** , the novel it was expanded into). > **[With Folded Hands](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/With_Folded_Hands)** > > "With Folded Hands ..." is a 1947 science fiction novelette by American writer Jack Williamson. Willamson's influence for this story was the aftermath of World War II and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and his concern that "some of the technological creations we had developed with the best intentions might have disastrous consequences in the long run." > The novelette first appeared in the July 1947 issue of Astounding Science Fiction and was later included in The Science Fiction Ha... ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-ideas-from-science-fiction-that-scientists-seem-hell-bent-to-pursue-anyway/940356/25 "2021-04-21T12:54:08Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > As machines, they would have a uniform methodology that wouldn’t be affected by the race, gender, or religion of suspects. Don’t be too sure about that: > **[Artificial Intelligence Has a Problem With Gender and Racial Bias](https://time.com/5520558/artificial-intelligence-racial-gender-bias/)** > > Machines can discriminate in harmful ways. Here's how we fix the problem > **[Dealing With Bias in Artificial Intelligence (Published 2019)](https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/19/technology/artificial-intelligence-bias.html)** > > Three women with extensive experience in A.I. spoke on the topic and how to confront it. Plenty more where those came from. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-ideas-from-science-fiction-that-scientists-seem-hell-bent-to-pursue-anyway/940356/26 "2021-04-21T13:10:48Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > There is so much controversy surrounding human police that a robotic police force may eventually be inevitable. Sounds like a good idea! 😄 [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/TstteJ1eIZg/maxresdefault.jpg "RoboCop (1/11) Movie CLIP - It's Only a Glitch (1987) HD") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TstteJ1eIZg&t=44) ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-ideas-from-science-fiction-that-scientists-seem-hell-bent-to-pursue-anyway/940356/27 "2021-04-21T13:23:24Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > In fact, they could even be programmed to allow the suspect to fire first, thus removing all doubt regarding their use of force. The point I see here is, since they are not humans, but rather property, they have no need to use _any_ force to protect themselves. I don’t fear the idea of robots used in enhancing policing, I just think that they should _never_ be armed, even with “less than lethal” weapons. ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-ideas-from-science-fiction-that-scientists-seem-hell-bent-to-pursue-anyway/940356/28 "2021-04-21T13:33:22Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Don’t be too sure about that: I’m not, that’s why I posted it in the “bad Ideas” thread. LOL ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-ideas-from-science-fiction-that-scientists-seem-hell-bent-to-pursue-anyway/940356/29 "2021-04-21T17:35:40Z")
> [@Jasmine](#): > > As machines, they would have a uniform methodology that wouldn’t be affected by the race, gender, or religion of suspects. Unless designed specifically otherwise. Which is a distinct possibility. As you say, the list of reasons why your bad suggestion is a good example of a bad suggestion just keeps getting longer. > [@k9bfriender](#): > > The point I see here is, since they are not humans, but rather property, they have no need to use _any_ force to protect themselves. Nonsense. The police department budget is only so big. Every police droid that somebody shoots up for fun is another one the police need to repair or replace. As a present day real-world example, try vandalizing a known-to-be-unoccupied police car and see how happy the department (and their employees) is/are with you. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-ideas-from-science-fiction-that-scientists-seem-hell-bent-to-pursue-anyway/940356/30 "2021-04-21T19:08:22Z")
Someone vandalizes a cop car, then they should be charged with destruction of property. I don’t think that you should be allowed to shoot someone to prevent them from doing so, though. Same with robots. Destroying them can be against the law, and we also don’t need to kill people to protect them. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2021, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-ideas-from-science-fiction-that-scientists-seem-hell-bent-to-pursue-anyway/940356/31 "2021-04-21T23:22:15Z")
Good point. At the same time you could expect someone vandalizing a cop car to be grabbed, perhaps thrown to the ground, arm(s) twisted, etc., in the course of stopping their attack on the car and arresting them for destruction of property. To be sure, this might well reduce the number of people police shoot. Not nearly as bad an idea as I at first thought. ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2021, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-ideas-from-science-fiction-that-scientists-seem-hell-bent-to-pursue-anyway/940356/32 "2021-04-23T12:37:40Z")
> [@Bonum\_Legatum](#): > > “I remember Babylon” by Arthur C. Clarke. To paraphrase Wikipedia: > The story takes the form of a non-fiction article by Clarke in which he warns the United States that the People’s Republic of China is planning to launch a communications satellite to broadcast directly to Americans. The satellite will offer an uncensorable mix of pornography , gore and photographic evidence from the Nuremberg trials - (as a come-on for), communist propaganda. The American who reveals the plan to Clarke boasts that “History is on our side. We’ll be using America’s own decadence as a weapon against her, and it’s a weapon for which there’s no defence”. I have on occasion posited that if an enemy ever wanted to rouse the Third World against the US, all they’d have to do would be to broadcast episodes of _Man v. Food_ in those countries. Imagine someone in, say, Africa watching Americans attempt to eat hamburgers the size of their heads and wasting half of it. They’d start a terrorist movement on the spot. ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2021, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-ideas-from-science-fiction-that-scientists-seem-hell-bent-to-pursue-anyway/940356/33 "2021-04-26T23:10:04Z")
> [@GreenWyvern](#): > > > [@Jasmine](#): > > > > There is so much controversy surrounding human police that a robotic police force may eventually be inevitable. > > Sounds like a good idea! 😄 Heck, people have known giving a robot a gun was a bad idea _at least_ this far back: [![](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/56/9b/b8/569bb866182a5337fc70824bfc22ffa3.jpg) ](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/56/9b/b8/569bb866182a5337fc70824bfc22ffa3.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2021, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-ideas-from-science-fiction-that-scientists-seem-hell-bent-to-pursue-anyway/940356/34 "2021-04-27T11:29:01Z")
> [@Lumpy](#): > > Heck, people have known giving a robot a gun was a bad idea _at least_ this far back: He was hunting “Wabbit” out of season. 😈 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-ideas-from-science-fiction-that-scientists-seem-hell-bent-to-pursue-anyway/940356.md?page=1)