1. Montag

    Montag New Member

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    US Air Force to revolutionize farming in developing countries with new 'crop bombs'

    Discussion in 'The Lounge' started by Montag, Feb 16, 2009.

    http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/as...omb/index.html

    Pretty bold invention if you ask me. One would just hope that they hit the right field, and not turn a bunch of cows into mincemeat prematurely.:redface:
     
  2. Wreybies

    Wreybies Thrice Retired Supporter Contributor

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    On the Discovery Science Channel I saw a similar method developed to replant deforested areas.
     
  3. lordofhats

    lordofhats New Member

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    That certainly is an intriguing idea. Plow an entire field in a second? I wonder how effective it is. Has there been sufficient testing to see how well the crops grow in the long term?

    PS @OP: You link doesn't work. It redirects me to a page not found message.
     
  4. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

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    let's hope they get all the people out of the way, first!... and what about the bomblets that fail to explode as planned?... what danger will there be to farmers and children who may set them off later, as happens with so many of the killing-type cluster-bombs?
     
  5. Wreybies

    Wreybies Thrice Retired Supporter Contributor

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    Well, the plan that I saw for the reforesting aerial assault was a very passive method. They deduced on the show that the best method of delivery was a loose burlap material wrapped around a ball of mud containing the seed. This was then dipped in paraffin wax to seal it and give it a bit of solid structure.

    The intent was threefold:

    1) Very easy to create in rural or poor countries.

    2) Sufficiently resilient to protect the seed upon impact.

    3) All safe, biodegradable products.
     
  6. Montag

    Montag New Member

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    From what I've read, apparently the cluster bomblets have a dense cardboard casing, so that they explode with the same force, but a much lower velocity than metal ones, and instead of dense metal shrapnel, they just produce far less dangerous lightweight paper shrapnel, which don't fly very far. Also, if a bomblet fails to explode, the porus cardboard casing allows water to seep in, and even a small amount of moisture renders the explosive unable to detonate.
     
  7. NaCl

    NaCl Contributor Contributor

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    Law of unintended consequences. Good or well-intentioned ideas often have serious side effects, like mammamaia's concern for unexploded ordinance, and some have yet to be discovered.
     
  8. ManicParroT

    ManicParroT New Member

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    Since the invention of the cow?

    You guys can read critically, and tell a hoax from a real story, right?

    I don't know what CNN were doing, but I can only assume this was posted on April Fool's Day.
     
  9. marina

    marina Contributor Contributor

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    Haha. Good spotting, Manic.
     
  10. Montag

    Montag New Member

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    I guess the jig is up. I thought that bit about the cow was going to spoil it right from the start.

    To my knowledge nothing like a crop bomb exists, I made it up. Sorry. :redface:

    I was going to put in a bit about the consideration of tactical nuclear crop bombing but that definitely would have given it away.
     
  11. marina

    marina Contributor Contributor

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    Well, there were some glaring SPaG issues, but then it was CNN.
     
  12. othman

    othman New Member

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    Well it was a nice idea but the cow thing really did give it away...

    I just had a great idea! Why not wait a while and post this on reddit! They're all so silly that most will probably buy it and if not then it'll still be really funny.
     
  13. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

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    you also spelled 'ordnance' incorrectly... and the link doesn't go to any cnn story...
     
  14. inkslinger

    inkslinger Active Member

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    LOL! As an Airman myself, I was about to post in here and let you guys know, uhh, this story isn't true. Then there's the cow thing, which added to that. But I'm glad you guys figured it out for yourselves that it's a joke.
     

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