Weapons

Hey Veeky Forums.

Lot's of you are STEM fags, it's why we're here.

But a lot of the best STEM is funded by government to build weapons and tools to control populations.

If you were asked to build part of a weapons system, how do you feel about this?
If you were asked to build something that could be used in a weapons system, what would you do?
If you were asked to build something that is designed to surveil people without their knowledge, would you?

I work on a project that I had concerns about at first violating 4th amendment of the US (no unreasoble search and seizure). Once I understood the technology better, I realized there was no harm in it, so I am fine to work on it. However I work with a lot of people who have to keep their mouth's shut about the work they do, which is universally for defense. Hell, we have a peice of equipment I could go to PMITA prison for if I shared it with foreign nationals. I don't like that, and will try to stay away from secret research.

So what's your opinion?

>I think I uploaded the right file...

Other urls found in this thread:

youtube.com/watch?v=nYWM4-sYtZ8
twitter.com/NSFWRedditVideo

>I think I uploaded the right file...
Ahaha, lol. nope! Went by the file name alone. It's this one!

Aerospace engineer here. Have worked extensively on eurofighter tranche 2 and typhoon design and mods. No objection at all.

>If you were asked to build part of a weapons system, how do you feel about this?

Oh boy oh boy. If I could use my knowledge of mathematics and systems programming to build the new generation of self driving nuke dropping drones I would fucking do it and I would feel great.

I mean, as far as I am concern in my tiny office working in front of a computer I am just building a program that drives a plane and then decides when to turn some variables from false to true (even if that variable is drop_nukes) so why should I care?

I am doing science, if someone uses my science to kill someone well, that was his science, not mine.

>If you were asked to build something that could be used in a weapons system, what would you do?

Try to get promoted so that I build the weapons system myself.

Fuck, working in the military would be amazing.

>9 to 5 typical job programming and drawing some diagrams in a white board to do some math
>Be appreciated at the level of a hero when my AI saves some foot soldier I know absolutely nothing about

I would do that no problem.

I would be A-OK with it. Honored even.

Remember, weapons don't just kill, they also protect. Consider the atomic bomb. Until the atomic bomb was invented, the world had seen a new, more deadly major war every ~20 years for the past 200, culminating in WW2 which claimed over 60 million lives. Since then, we haven't had a single war come even within a tenth of that. Nuclear weapons and the mutually assured destruction they bring broke the pattern.

Most engineers work in companies that create software or machines which makes profit for those companies. A lot of engineers got into STEM because of weapons technology. Defense companies and the government hires the largest pool of engineers to their projects. The problem is most of those graduates cannot the clearances because they're either Zhangs or Pajeets who will sell those secrets on the open market. This is why they're doing a huge campaign to get more Juans and Tyrones into STEM.

>I think I uploaded the right file...
you certainly did

Source on webm?

Also I'd do the weapons gig. We need weapons for defense. It's better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them. You live in a fantasy land if you think that your country not having weapons will make things peaceful.

Then again I believe in gun rights, so maybe I'm biased.

Lewd Nice, oh look, wrong webm.
Ah fuck me, I was having a nice day. How could any American military at the time have a clean conscience after doing that TWICE?

OT:
>If you were asked to build part of a weapons system, how do you feel about this?

I would not feel proud of my job, but if it's got a good pay and safety, I would do it.

Think of it this way, despite what we like to think, there are plenty of scientists to give and take. Unless for some reason you're the only one in the world that can do that job, you're irreplaceable.

If you deny that job, someone else WILL take it, and the project WILL complete. You will just miss a job opportunity and give it to someone else.

>If you were asked to build something that could be used in a weapons system, what would you do?

I actually chose this as a topic of a graded unit once. Personally, I think it's a battle not worth fighting, since knowledge discovered can have unseen consequences.

Dynamite was created for construction, it ended up blowing limbs off. Newton did some cool equations, they were essential for orbital missiles. If you discover something, there is always a chance of being used to kill.

>If you were asked to build something that is designed to surveil people without their knowledge, would you?

Doing Neuroscience, so my answer is fuck no. The only time that could be used would be to read thoughts, and at that point privacy will stop existing. I would probably do the opposite, and try to work on brain encryption, but this is just scifi shit.

If someone is working on something that can be used today to spy, they probably know that this was their career's future. It's personally against my politics, so that I wouldn't do.

It's the security paradox, man. Making weapons is expensive and doesn't require any input at all from anyone. And then you've got an arms race to stay in the same place.

Do you mean catch-22?

I don't see how this is a paradox.

source ?
I like state sponsored high-tech research

Aero undergrad here is it hard I just want to make cool shit for Raytheon or whoever

I'm Caucasian born America but visit Veeky Forums do I pass

youtube.com/watch?v=nYWM4-sYtZ8

Morality is a spook

I'd do it and then whine to a secret agent about it for hours.

Nah JK I'd probably try to find other work.

Graduate student of aerospace engineering here. I absolutely have moral qualms about building weapons.

I worry about the next generation of engineers who say stupid shit like . This is why gen eds exist, so you learn about who might be on the receiving end of a missile.

>If you were asked to build part of a weapons system, how do you feel about this?
Excited
>If you were asked to build something that could be used in a weapons system, what would you do?
Create a weapon to surpass metal gear
>If you were asked to build something that is designed to surveil people without their knowledge, would you?
No

I'm much more threatened by the idea of surveillance than a new tank or bomb.

see

What the fuck?

You are aware that this is a blue board, right?

I hope you get banned, you pedophile piece of garbage.

nice try DARPA

go fuck yourselves.

Lmao, that webm made me kek, nice going OP. Also checked.

OP here.

lol, I think by the title I alone you can tell I'm not impressed with what I first posted.

Thinking about nukes, I think they have served their purpose. The US could secretly disarm without telling the world, and no one would be the wiser, and the world would be an even safer place for it. In anti-Strangelove fashion, a non-existent weapon you let everyone know you have is a great deterrent if you've already demonstrated you've made one.

You are a very practical person. I'm a physicist in engineer's clothing, and somewhat of an idealist. This is the response my true engineering friend would give. "If you don't do it, someone else will". That may be true (just look at all the edges in this thread), but that doesn't absolve my conscience. I feel in many instances resources spent on developing weapons could be used to more directly address why people may want weapons in the first place, mainly lack of basic needs and education. This world isn't quite there yet, but with science and the internet we really could be living in a post-want society if we really did try. There's no money in it though.

Your second response I agree with.

Your third statement is interesting given your first response. My question was essentially one of cyber warfare, and somebody is doing it whether you will or not. I guess everyone has a line to draw somewhere.

I'm glad at least one other person in this thread shares my view. I knew a lass who was getting into nuclear engineering because she wanted to build bombs. That always unsettled me. It probably wouldn't change many people's opinions, but I do think an ethics class chould be required for engineers.

Tangentially related. If you have never read Cat's Cradle by Vonnegut, it's a [math]highly[/math] recommended read. Dr Hoenikker is one of the most interesting characters never to say a line in his own book.

>If you were asked to build part of a weapons system, how do you feel about this?

Excited and honored before I hit uni I could never see myself as somebody contributing to death of people. However, I realized that making weapons is badass and it has suddenly become my wet dream. I am into Computer engineering so I am not sure what my chances are for getting into making weapons.

>If you were asked to build something that could be used in a weapons system, what would you do?

I have been doing some stuff with AI and drones so I guess that I would a swarm of drones in the air that will be used to navigate walking suicide-robots. All automatically.


>If you were asked to build something that is designed to surveil people without their knowledge, would you?

That would be really boring and I guess I would still do it but I would not be proud of myself. I generally don't give a fuck about humanity I like discovering and I have the uttermost respect to scientists that discover stuff that will always amaze me.