GasBandit
Staff member
You can't prove anything, copper! I'm an amature electrician, I'm... BAD IS GOOD BABY DOWN WITH THE GOVERNMENT
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BRB, making new message ringtone.
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Staff member
Full vehicle automation could conceivably happen now. As far as problems go, it's not that hard. At University of Louisiana (where I taught) they had a fully automated Jeep Wrangler that regularly drove around town. I think the biggest hurdle to vehicle automation will be getting people--especially Americans--to give up control.
People cannot drive their cars now. They also cannot figure out how to run Outlook. You simultaneously seem to give people no credit whatsoever, and way, way too much credit.
GasBandit
Staff member
Not the drivers, the government. I'm saying automated flying cars, which no doubt use wireless networking to communicate with/avoid other cars, would be ready-made tools of political assassination. "His flying car malfunctioned at 500 feet, nicked a building, plummeted to its doom. Horrible accident."
As I've often said, I think Tatsuya got a man-hating girlfriend (or has his eyes on one) and has been trying to impress her by taking his comic in a complete 180 and ruining 90% of it in the process.
The irony is, Slick has always been Tatsuya's Mary Sue... and watching his flailing "I'm your ally!" antics... he still is.
When you see someone use their turn signal, you make decisions based on that information, but you don't bet your car or your life on it - you give yourself enough leeway so that if the information is wrong you do not get into an accident.
Yes, automated cars will share information, but they will treat all incoming information as suspect until or unless the information is certified.
Cars will be autonomous in the same way drivers are. They will talk with each other, but they will still drive as though everyone external to them is feeding false information, and treat all incoming information as hints and suggestions rather than actionable policy.
As far as trusting the code in the car you're riding in, it's really little different than trusting that your automotive manufacturer designed the brakes correctly. The modules that control the car will be completely proprietary and encrypted from the manufacturer, and any change in code will be detectable via encryption signature - the car won't run if the code is altered.
Besides which, we've already passed the point of no return. The high end cars that auto park themselves also have braking control, steering control, and the throttle is electronic. The computer can control all three variables (throttle, steering, braking).
Further, they receive wireless data from both the keyfobs and the tire pressure/temperature sensors. This data goes right onto the vehicle data bus.
So, in theory, if they have errors in their code, or exploitable weaknesses, then what you're worried about is within the realm of possibility now. No need to wait for a fully automated car.
GasBandit
Staff member
Yes, I know, and Onstar can kill your engine whenever they want, too.
But at least those problems aren't exploitable on an object hurtling hundreds of feet in the air. If your automated parking module acts up, worst you get is a ding. A flying car accident would be much more reliably fatal.
And we're learning all the time how every electronic device we own, be it cars, phones, whatever, are all getting remotely accessible backdoors put in them. In a flying car, it becomes very worrisome.
And you can bet your ass the NSA, perhaps even vanilla old law enforcement, will want remote override protocols. In the name of keeping us safe, of course. Otherwise, why, anyone could pack a car full of dynamite and have their own budget cruise missile! (this was the same argument for GPS/LORAN autopilot accuracy dithering in regards to small aircraft, like single engine Cessnas)
But at least those problems aren't exploitable on an object hurtling hundreds of feet in the air. If your automated parking module acts up, worst you get is a ding. A flying car accident would be much more reliably fatal.
And we're learning all the time how every electronic device we own, be it cars, phones, whatever, are all getting remotely accessible backdoors put in them. In a flying car, it becomes very worrisome.
And you can bet your ass the NSA, perhaps even vanilla old law enforcement, will want remote override protocols. In the name of keeping us safe, of course. Otherwise, why, anyone could pack a car full of dynamite and have their own budget cruise missile! (this was the same argument for GPS/LORAN autopilot accuracy dithering in regards to small aircraft, like single engine Cessnas)
You're forgiven.
It's a shame - I used to love Sinfest, but I've taken it off my daily reading schedule. I honestly don't mind occasional jokes-with-a-message one way or the other, but the last 6 months or more have been nothing but trashing evil white men. It's like Charlie took over the story or something.
Same here. He has a child's understanding of social justice, but he's taken his comic strip and turned it into a cudgel for some vague radical cause.
I don't give a single flying fuck about my country's monarchy's imminent procreation. I give the same amount of fucks about the people taking the opportunity to take cheap shots at said monarchy.
I don't mean ill will towards them. I hope they have a happy, healthy child. But I don't need to constantly hear about how magical it is that another prince/princess is coming into the world. It's another human being. Being tied to a certain family doesn't make you any better than the next baby being born. I can understand people in Britain being excited a little bit, seeing as it's THEIR monarchy. But here in the U.S., I don't get it.
GasBandit
Staff member
It's just another form of celebrity worship. The royals are their Kardashians/Kennedys/whatever.
Considering all the effort America went to get rid of monarchy...
GasBandit
Staff member
Still, I got a chuckle from the Fark.com headline about it -
"Great Britain may get a new little royal today as the world concentrates On Her Majesty's Secret Cervix"
North_Ranger
Staff member
Fuck you, body temperature! Fuck you for suddenly spiking without warning or any recognizable cause! You get the fuck down this instant! Chemo already caused me to miss 75% of the Medieval Market, you are NOT going to make me miss out on Ropecon too! You do that and I'll fucking kill somebody! I'mma take my bow and arrows and go Skyrim sharpshooter on someone's ass!
GasBandit
Staff member
North_Ranger
Staff member
Don't quit your day job, Mr Ewok.
GasBandit
Staff member
Belgium has a king?
Sure. His ancestors are known for being dickwads in Congo and in the second World War.
I thought they were an autonomous collective?
You're fooling yourself.
figmentPez
Staff member
Yeah, more or less this. Of course, so did the other countries in the EU, they just don't quite realize it.
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