DARPA Wants To Hear Ideas From Your Inner MacGyver

[Unbeliever]

http://www.maxim.com/maxim-man/darpa-improv-program-2016-3

If like the fictional character from  MacGyver you are the kind of creative who can gin up a ballistic weapon using old household gadgets and stuff you swept up from your garage floor, DARPAâ€"the premiere American defense research agencyâ€"would like to talk to you.

An interesting new talent search - I wondered if this is for real, but I heard about it this morning on KQED, so surely it is.


Any ideas to share with them?

[stromboli]

I have an idea that involves duct tape and PVC pipe and a lubricant to be named later. I'm in the early development phase.....

[kilodelta]

I want DARPA to develop a portable alpha radiation probe that is hardened where it does not use mylar windows. I mean come on. There has to be an alternative method of counting alpha particles without something that rips really easily. Or build me a tank on four legs that follows voice commands like a dog. I'll name it... FIDO.

[stromboli]

I want DARPA to develop a portable alpha radiation probe that is hardened where it does not use mylar windows. I mean come on. There has to be an alternative method of counting alpha particles without something that rips really easily. Or build me a tank on four legs that follows voice commands like a dog. I'll name it... FIDO.

Based on what I know about DARPA, they probably have. Lockheed has a working laser now, apparently. The Navy has railguns. Shit's gettin' serious out there.

http://www.cnn.com/videos/tech/2015/01/08/electromagnetic-railgun-us-navy-weapon-orig-mg.cnn/video/playlists/atv-cnn-digital-exclusives/

[Baruch]

DARPA is doing the research version of "crowd funding".  They want inventions that have no patent, so they can get inventions on the cheap.  And their point is to make weapons to destroy property and kill people.  Not that there is anything wrong with that.  But Silicon Valley it is not.