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Some slightly related from Technorati and Google.

[cryptogon.com] South Korea Considers Deploying Armed Robots Along DMZ: But, this scandal has the potential to cause tsunami-sized damage: It involves a highly respected insurance company, American International Group (AIG) - which is part of the Dow Jones Industrial Average - which has now admitted to $1.7 billion in improper accounting. And, it has enveloped some legends in the financial arena: Maurice "Hank" Greenberg, forced out as chairman of AIG, and Warren Buffet, the Omaha stock market guru, who will be questioned about his possible involvement.

[Gelf Magazine] Zooming In 4/9/05: South Korea: "The Defense Ministry plans to deploy robots with combat capability along the heavily fortified inter-Korean border as part of revamped security measures to deter North Korean infiltration," the Korea Herald reports. The paper adds: "Robots with weapons mounted on their frames are each expected to be able to observe from 2 and 1 kilometers during the day and night, respectively, and will have the capability to record voices and take pictures in a 180-degree circle." According to a Herald paraphrase of noted understatement, Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung says "the ability to shoot at targets is a matter which needs to be discussed and worked out very carefully." The news comes two months after word emerged in the U.S. of Pentagon plans to develop a robot soldier. (New York Times)

[Tenser, said the Tensor] Earthless: I think it's an important component of the atmosphere of these stories that, in spite of the magnitude of the disasters, there is still hope.  Earth is unavailable, but not destroyed, and this leaves open the possiblity, in the minds both of characters and of readers, of a return home.  This desire to take back the Earth is overt in some stories, particularly in Bloom and Vacuum Flowers.  To a lesser extent it's a part of the Eight Worlds stories, in which hope of defeating the Invaders is slim indeed, but humanity still longs for the homeworld it can see, but not touch.  The desire to return is least important, I think, in Cowboy Bebop, because although it is damaged, Earth is remains partially inhabited and in contact with humans in space.  Only Sterling's spacefaring post-humans don't want to have any contact with Earth””at least they've convinced themselves so.  However, without spoiling the details, I'll just say that in every one of these fictional universes, the possibility of returning to Earth is eventually addressed.

[Chrenkoff] Good news from Afghanistan, Part 10: Among Afghanistan's growing commercial and infrastructure contacts with neighboring countries: the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan (TAP) gas pipeline project has received support from the Pakistani government (under this project Afghanistan wants to supply natural gas from its abundant reserves to both Pakistan and India) and Turkmenistan is now also trying to accelerate the work on the project; the Pakistan-Afghanistan Joint Economic Commission is now in sitting (first on the agenda, improved transport and communication infrastructure along the border); Pakistan has also offered to accord Afghanistan a preferential trade agreement, which would, among other priorities, work to reduce tariffs between the two countries; Iran is planning to construct a 207-kilometer railway line from Turbat e Jam in Iran to Pakistan, through the border city of Islam Qala near Herat, thus linking Afghanistan to international markets; Indian Industry chamber CII will be participating in training of Afghan construction industry workers; India will also be assisting Afghanistan in reviving its mining industry as well as civil aviation industry, in particular upgrading the air traffic management system and assisting with maintenance (speaking of air traffic management, the Kabul airport might finally be getting a radar); business council will be established by the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry to coordinate economic cooperation between Afghanistan and the Emirates; and a business forum on Afghan reconstruction has been recently held in Uzbekistan.

[astroblog] Super Telescopes in Space and on the Moon: JWST will be an infrared observatory, deployed for duty with a large sunshade attached at the second Lagrange point (L2) of the Sun-Earth system, a semi-stable point in the gravitational potential around the Sun and Earth. It will be positioned some 1 million miles (1.5 million kilometers) from the Earth and enable astronomers to observe the formation of the first stars and galaxies in the universe billions of years ago.

[Americandigest.org] AMERICAN DIGEST Essays | News | Notes | Quotes: Transparency is like "truth" or "honesty," except it's neither of those things, which is why it takes a new term of art like "transparency" to accomplish its intent. We're all cynical enough to know that we ought to be very skeptical whenever we observe that some authority figure, or company is doing something, especially something that appears to be altruistic. We intuitively understand that it's unreasonable to expect entities that compete for attention and authority ever to be completely truthful or honest about their intentions. We want to believe that promoting and embracing "transparency" may inhibit those entities from the worst examples of deceit, and give us the opportunity to "see" the truth behind their actions.

[Livingroom.org.au] Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs): When asked for comment, VADM Massenburg said, “unmanned aerial vehicles and systems will add a vital component to our asymmetric warfare capabilities, providing access, reach, and persistence while improving our interoperability with coalition forces, allies, and the Joint services. Used for a variety of missions, these sophisticated vehicles will heighten our current and future readiness while offering unique advantages to the warfighters, helping them operate more efficiently and effectively, and win the Global War on Terror.”'

[Stommel.tamu.edu] Ethel the Blog: James Van Allen - the discover of the Van Allen radiation belts surrounding the Earth - has been lobbying NASA from the start of the shuttle program to not divert so many resources away from the unmanned vehicle program, a program that produces more science per dollar. I've always agreed with him on this, but those in charge since the beginning of the shuttle program have consistently chosen the sexy people-filled shuttle over boring robots exploring the almost complete unknown. Most basic science just ain't sexy, a point constantly brought home to me by the depressing lack of groupies here in the office. Most basic science is also difficult and replete with failure, a fact perhaps difficult to swallow by a culture increasingly obsessed with the winner/loser false dichotomy.

[Jerz.setonhill.edu] Science Archive (Jerz's Literacy Weblog): ...

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