Comments on: DARPA looking for technology to create ‘transient electronics’ devices

By: Scott Batchelor

Scott Batchelor — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 15:58:18 +0000

With advances in bioprinting and materials, these devices could be attached to the body like a skin and peeled off to harmlessly biodegrade. I can think of lots of medical devices, communications and targeting systems, that could be made for a tactical operator with this design characteristic in mind.

By: redlaboratory

redlaboratory — Wed, 30 Jan 2013 23:50:09 +0000

What if the enemy know how to dissolve your electronic ? Signal and temperature can be randomly found …

By: asiwel

asiwel — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 21:56:13 +0000

Why was my first thought here more environmental “pollution”? True, this seldom seems to be an immediate concern regarding military action .. and then afterwards we are usually talking about landmines and unexploded ordinance, etc. But the problem of disposing/recycling batteries and old electronics is a serious one … and somehow just “dissolving” such “litter” on (and into) the ground doesn’t quite seem like forward progress.

By: Eric

Eric — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 19:44:11 +0000

The idea that this technology would end up in consumer devices seems far fetched to me. Why would someone want to pay a significantly higher price to incorporate technology that would not last as long? I do think it would be awesome for some things though. Imagine the memory chip holding data in you phone being able to dissolve if the phone had too many bad password attempts.

By: godot

godot — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 17:31:42 +0000

The ultimate weapon in the planned obsolesence war against consumers. I’m sure the multinationals are rejoicing, and if Ralph Nader were dead, he’d be spinning in his grave!

By: ErikSMeyer

ErikSMeyer — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 17:28:53 +0000

Brilliant! I can think of all kinds of excuses they might come up with for staging dissolution triggers; planned phase-outs, upgrades whatever. Think of all the gear they could just destroy every year, to make room for new gear, to be purchased from the defense contractors. We could seen first tens, then hundred of billions in extra budget outlays to the defense industry, just to keep replacing all the stuff the Pentagon is ordering dissolved every year.
Where’ Paul Krugman? We could make consumer goods dissolvable, too, that way people could ultimately be put in a positon where they have no choice but to work more and spend more, just so that they can keep rebuying the stuff they already have (put those laptops and flat screenTVs on a cycle, that way, the rubes will have to keep “upgrading” every year, no matter what)