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Thread: Breaking news: Gunpowder eating bacteria

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    Default Breaking news: Gunpowder eating bacteria

    Hey folks,

    Just kidding; There´s no breaking news.

    However, I think about it very often, specially after this whole gun ban discussion going on nowadays.

    What if someone developed a gunpowder eating biological agent, something that could spread really fast through all over the world?

    How would it affect society, international politics and global economy, I mean, if every fire weapon on Earth was suddenly turned into useless paper weight?

    I think this idea would be a nice script for a science fiction story...

    What do you think?

    Cheers,

    Raf.

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    Avalon Member Carmody's Avatar
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    Default Re: Breaking news: Gunpowder eating bacteria

    There is, now, an organism in the ocean, that does not age. that the telemores of the DNA do not shorten, when it repeats (cell splits) ,and it ages... and then is renewed as a youth.

    living....without ever aging, or dying.

    This is not a joke.

    And it MAY end up being one of the most serious threats to this planet's oceans. If it ever gets past the area of where repetition and breeding over takes it's death rate, it may make a horrible mess of this planet.

    Ah. Here it is.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/02/ma...f=general&_r=0
    Last edited by Carmody; 16th January 2013 at 22:56.
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    Default Re: Breaking news: Gunpowder eating bacteria

    There's a scene at the end of the remake of "The Day the Earth Stood Still" with Keanu Reeves where the Aliens who have come to Earth to collect the biosphere release the "grey goo", nanobots that eat all of the works of mankind, the buildings, the cars, all metallic objects and it looked like concrete and other materials as well. This was the prelude to the destruction of humanity which was only saved through the compassion of the "judge" figure Keanu represented, who, having discovered compassion made the decision to save the Earth.

    A movie highlighting a facet of that, without the whole kill all the humans scenario included would be interesting, maybe even dramatic enough for a series. Like the show, "Revolution", but with better writing.


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    Default Re: Breaking news: Gunpowder eating bacteria

    Hey Rahkyt,

    That´s really a challenge. Imagine what would happen to society if all firearms are rendered useless, not by choice, but by a bacteria released by...by who?

    It could be a leaked military experiment...Or maybe someone in a powerful position decided to end this madness...Or maybe an eccentric pacifist billionaire...Or maybe a corporation which has a new kind of weapon to sell...Or maybe even an extraterrestrial race trying to clear the ground before and eventual invasion...

    Man, I can´t even imagine what would happen to the world if something like that happened.

    It wouldn´t be something so extreme as the Revolution TV series...Everything would stay the same, except that firearms wouldn´t work anymore.

    Raf.
    Last edited by RMorgan; 16th January 2013 at 23:11.

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    Default Re: Breaking news: Gunpowder eating bacteria

    Quote What if someone developed a gunpowder eating biological agent, something that could spread really fast through all over the world?
    swordmasters would be in good business?
    Be careful when wandering in the woods... The wolf may approach you... And if you are approached by a solitary wolf... It is not a wolf at all!

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    Default Re: Breaking news: Gunpowder eating bacteria

    Knives, bludgeons, crossbows, bows, swords, rocks, sticks, LOL

    If humans want to kill they're gonna kill, right?

    That movie would be a return to the pre-gunpowder era.

    It would also be a return to the era when it actually took great skill or pure destructive anger of the berserker type to actual kill a whole bunch of people at once, rather than a weapon that fires an endless amount of rounds bought at your local gun shop or show.

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    Default Re: Breaking news: Gunpowder eating bacteria

    Quote Posted by Rahkyt (here)
    Knives, bludgeons, crossbows, bows, swords, rocks, sticks, LOL

    If humans want to kill they're gonna kill, right?

    That movie would be a return to the pre-gunpowder era.

    It would also be a return to the era when it actually took great skill or pure destructive anger of the berserker type to actual kill a whole bunch of people at once, rather than a weapon that fires an endless amount of rounds bought at your local gun shop or show.
    That´s really interesting.

    How do you think it would affect the current global power balance?

    I mean, the military power of a nation wouldn´t be connected to the amount of weapons anymore, but with the amount of skilled warriors and strategic generals.

    I imagine it wouldn´t be so easy for, as an example, the US military forces to invade a middle-eastern country to steal their resources. Their military forces would be easily outnumbered by the natives.

    I think the Chinese would have an extreme advantage...

    Anyway, what if it brings the possibility of peace? Is it possible that an event like this would trigger a cultural/behaviorist change? Or maybe it could trigger radically different behaviorist changes in different parts of the world?

    Or maybe it would trigger a race, cold war style, to see which nation would develop other kinds of hand weapons as efficient, or more efficient, than firearms...Maybe this race could lead to paradigm shifting technological advances, why not?

    Or perhaps nations would focus on the development of cyber-wars, or even on the improvement of already existing ballistic technologies that doesn´t require gunpowder, like missiles...
    Last edited by RMorgan; 16th January 2013 at 23:42.

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    Default Re: Breaking news: Gunpowder eating bacteria

    There's something about that topic in one of the 'Anastasia' books by Valdimir Megre (can't remember which volume).

    Edit: Not about gunpowder, but radioactive weapons; and not someone releasing bacteria, but children 'telling' the existing microorganisms to destroy the weaponry. I did like the thought.
    Last edited by meeradas; 17th January 2013 at 00:03.

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    Default Re: Breaking news: Gunpowder eating bacteria

    Very interesting concept RMorgan, a bacteria that lives of the infiltration of the chemical compound that is gunpowder. Haven't heard that one yet. The implications would be astronomical, enforcement agencies arsenal, for field and covert defense at the basic levels, e.g. hand guns, fire arms, would be rendered useless.

    Back to using sword on sword and the intercepting fists


    Adi

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    Default Re: Breaking news: Gunpowder eating bacteria

    Well, guns are only one way to kill people. Taking this conceptual exercise even further ...

    What about biological weapons? Lasers? Weapons based upon sound, energy? Energy-based weather and geophysical weapons? Psionic weapons, developed as the technology race shifts from projectile weapons to organic weapons, the highest of which would be humans. Scanners, telekinetic Blasters, Brain-benders, Empath Vampires, the possibilies are mind-boggling and, yes, a science-fantasy masterpiece just waiting to be written.

    Population size would indeed be an issue, with larger population countries having an advantage over smaller population countries. It is doubtful that countries would even exist anymore as we know them, or, perhaps, with the inclusion of higher technology, we could see the manifestation of a weird type of techno-medieval world, where magic and advanced technology exist side-by-side as the current statis of a world preoccupied by what are relatively simplistic combustion-based propeller conveyances and projectile ballistics would be relegated to obscurity and memory with the "freeing" of the technological binds that currently limit mainstream development.

    So much more is conceivable and possible, given the current state of science at the "fringes" and frontiers of exploration.
    Last edited by Mark; 16th January 2013 at 23:57.

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    Default Re: Breaking news: Gunpowder eating bacteria

    Quote Posted by Rahkyt (here)
    Well, guns are only one way to kill people. Taking this conceptual exercise even further ...

    What about biological weapons? Lasers? Weapons based upon sound, energy? Energy-based weather and geophysical weapons? Psionic weapons, developed as the technology race shifts from projectile weapons to organic weapons, the highest of which would be humans. Scanners, telekinetic Blasters, Brain-benders, Empath Vampires, the possibilies are mind-boggling and, yes, a science-fantasy masterpiece just waiting to be written.

    Population size would indeed be an issue, with larger population countries having an advantage over smaller population countries. It is doubtful that countries would even exist anymore as we know them, or, perhaps, with the inclusion of higher technology, we could see the manifestation of a weird type of techno-medieval world, where magic and advanced technology exist side-by-side as the current statis of a world preoccupied by what are relatively simplistic combustion-based propeller conveyances and projectile ballistics would be relegated to obscurity and memory with the "freeing" of the technological binds that currently limit mainstream development.

    So much more is conceivable and possible, given the current state of science at the "fringes" and frontiers of exploration.
    Really interesting possible lines of story development indeed, my friend!

    I always thought about writing a book...Perhaps, if I could develop this concept wisely enough, it would turn out as a nice book indeed.

    It would require a lot of research, of course, specially relating to behaviorist psychology, history and hidden technology.

    Any potential writers here want to join this project?

    Raf.
    Last edited by RMorgan; 17th January 2013 at 00:25.

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    Default Re: Breaking news: Gunpowder eating bacteria

    I'm sure we've all heard the notion that "guns don't kill people, people do".

    Consider: It's a lot easier to kill people than destroy all guns, much less find them and render them inoperable. Guns are made of mostly steel, like bullets. People are made of flesh and bone...not to mention that we, like all living beings, must sustain our living state. Human beings need quite a bit to live, unlike guns which only need bullets and basic cleaning implements and liquids to operate for centuries (Revolutionary War guns are still being shot today; a poorly-manufactured European-made AK47 made in the 1970s will operate for 20,000 rounds and could easily last 500 years if maintained, stored properly, and kept under that 20k service life).

    My point is, it would literally be easier to kill 90%, even 99% of humanity than it would be to "disarm the world" in any manner.

    The government would never develop something that would render bullets useless unless it was completely controllable...they need their bullets just like we do.

    To me, wondering about what the world would be like without firearms or any form of weaponry is like wondering what my life would be like without women. No offense, women, I love you, you're pretty much the only thing that makes life worth living and are the most beautiful entities on this Earth...but like most things in life, dealing with the opposite sex is a two-way street, a double-edged sword, AMBIGUOUS... a "necessary evil" Well ever since guns became a pervasive component of humanity, finding their ways to the corners of the Earth and in every 10th American women's purse, living with guns has become a "necessary evil". It's just a matter of fact, they aren't going away barring some massive environmental change like world-wife flooding.

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    Default Re: Breaking news: Gunpowder eating bacteria

    This actually sound like one of the chapters from I think book 7 - The Ringing Cedars of Russia, where a little girl that grows up in one of the kins domains in Russia, is able to use the same energy that they had in Atlantis, and make the bacteria destroy all guns and armaments.. this then in the chapter leads to a "disarmament war". The best quote from that chapter is "Good shall prevail over the Earth"

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    Default Re: Breaking news: Gunpowder eating bacteria

    "This is the way the world ends"

    Of course, one has to have a scopas safety suit.

    (I read it in 1985) From the author:

    "Reading Jonathan Schell's The Fate of the Earth., I was particularly impressed by one line: "The right vantage point from which to view a holocaust is that of a corpse." It struck me that most nuclear-war fiction is really a kind of pornography, inviting us to identify with winners while the losers, the corpses, drop away. So how might a novelist assume the vantage point of the dead? Through recourse, I reasoned, to the tools of speculative fiction. Eventually I hit upon the conceit of "the unadmitted," the generations whose births were canceled by the extinction. I gave them flesh and a temporary lease on life."

    It is very very funny ...very black humour.
    Last edited by Carmody; 17th January 2013 at 05:00.
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    Default Re: Breaking news: Gunpowder eating bacteria

    Let's hope "Peace" spreads through the world. I think such a bacteria would have no way of spreading to many bullets...
    “There is no coming to consciousness without pain. People will do anything, no matter how absurd, in order to avoid facing their own soul. One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.” -- Carl Jung

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    Default Re: Breaking news: Gunpowder eating bacteria

    Hi Raf, I agree, it would be an interesting story.
    However, as someone said above, there are different kinds of weapons (laser, sonic, etc.). So, another possibility (just in order to explore your idea), could be a portable device that creates an impenetrable and invisible shield around a given user (man, woman, even a dog). An invisible shield so strong that does not allow bullets, laser, sound, even “mental energies”, and whose technological principles and instructions for an easy and affordable construction are spread all over the world through Internet.

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    Default Re: Breaking news: Gunpowder eating bacteria

    reminds me of Synthia and other oil eating microbes like aurignosa or whatever

    scary idea!!

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