The DARPA Wonders (?) (GPS, Acer, devices, invention)

[limapie]

I've been reading about the DARPA, Defense Advanced Research Projests Agency, again lately. It seems that
they've recovered from such projects as training psychic people to locate places to annihilate and designing
mechanical elephants for the Vietnam jungles. They've recently developed an alternative energy source for
soldiers to power their backpack night-vision laser and GPS devices. The battery pack used to weight
almost 25 lbs. or more. (Kind of hard to retreat if you're carrying a load of bricks.)
To me, the new replacement isn't alternative. To me it is a different kind of suicide bomber technique.
The fuel cells that have been developed use a gallon of propane!

Now.... I see this article at popsci.com:

DARPA Readies an Ultra-Fast Mini-Sub | Popular Science

What happens when the bubble pops? Do they cast off the specially trained navy shipmen into the embarrassment pile, too?

[GregW]

DARPA islittle more than an Acadimic/Industrial welfare program. It swerves its purpose even if it never invents anything even vaguely useful. IMHO the money would be better spent encouraging invention in the open market.

[limapie]

The fuel cell article that I was reading said that they had twenty outside contractors look at what was wanted and only two decided to take a R & D try at it.
It is beyond me how our soldiers would be safer with propane on them instead of batteries.
Batteries are heavy, yes. But propane? The soldiers are walking bombs! And these R & D's get paid for this?!?!? Does anyone have a son/daughter in the military? Probably not.

[limapie]

So just how fast in mph is 100 knots?

1 mph = .868976 knots (according to the web)

so this new experimental sub will travel at about 115 mph.
The article said that the navy's fastest sub currently goes at about 30 knots.
This is 34.5 mph (car down a city street rate). (30 divided by .868976)

Now, India's newly launched (7/29/09) nuclear sub (their first and using Russian help, annoying
Pakistan to the hilt) powered by a 85 megawatt reactor
is said to reach a speed of 24 knots. That is 27.6 mph. This is kinda slow.

[swagger]

It's amusing that the people questioning the existence of DARPA are doing it using a technology created by DARPA. The irony is dripping.

[Tek_Freek]

Originally Posted by swagger

It's amusing that the people questioning the existence of DARPA are doing it using a technology created by DARPA. The irony is dripping.

Aw, Jeez, I got some on my shoe!

[limapie]

NOw, T-H-A-T I-S amusing!

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by limapie

The fuel cell article that I was reading said that they had twenty outside contractors look at what was wanted and only two decided to take a R & D try at it.
It is beyond me how our soldiers would be safer with propane on them instead of batteries.
Batteries are heavy, yes. But propane? The soldiers are walking bombs! And these R & D's get paid for this?!?!? Does anyone have a son/daughter in the military? Probably not.

A 25 pound back pack is not that heavy.

[GregW]

A 25 lb. back pact that explodes when hit by a tracer buller will NOT be carried. You can bet on that.

[limapie]

OKAY explain then how something that contains propane will not explode if hit by a bullet.