Bag's Rants

Smart Dust

Just reading this article on Smart Dust. The article was mainly talking about using the particle, each the size of a grain of sand, to explore alien environments. There was a bit of talk about the difficulty of fitting sensors but the particles could be made bigger or even provided with some propulsion. The theory is there and in the unforgiving environment that space is it has it's advantages.

I must confess when I was reading it I was wondering of the more at home advantages in this sort of tool. Sure enough at the end they mentioned it could be used on a battlefield or as an analytical tool for buildings or bridges. Sadly I was imaging other more sinister uses.

Imagine someone walking in your house and releasing some Smart Dust to monitor what was going on in your house. Sensors could monitor for drug use, cigarette smoke, even your private conversations. We would never know. They could even build them into all new houses. Add them to wallpaper and clothes. I would imagine that already the military are looking at it's uses.

After all if you have nothing to hide then you don't have anything to fear and the war needs to be taken to the homes of the terrorists.

Science is a double edged sword.

posted by Bag @ 3:28 pm