Today I found out about the use of exploding anti-tank dogs during World War II. These dogs, usually Alsatians, were also called "Hundminen" or "dog mines." They were trained to carry explosives on their bodies to enemy tanks, where they would then be detonated. No, it did not end very well for the dogs in question.
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Today I found out that during the height of the Cold War, the US military put such an emphasis on a rapid response to an attack on American soil, that to minimize any foreseeable delay in launching a nuclear missile, for nearly two decades they intentionally set the launch codes at every silo in the US to 8 zeroes.
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Spears feel very much like a human weapon of war—so it’s surprising to find out that, in fact, the stone-tipped projectiles pre-date our species by a bewildering 85,000 years.
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Why do nuclear bombs make mushroom clouds? The phenomenon all comes down to a little something called the Rayleigh-Taylor instability, and by extension, convection. I’ll begin with the somewhat longer, but less geeky explanation before descending once again into extreme nerdery.
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Not satisfied with the dart-launching pistol
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Quick what does the United States have in common with Serbia and Yemen? No, not just that they all have the vowel E in them. No, not because they start with letters in the second half of the alphabet. And no, not nothing either. According to popular estimates, the US, Serbia and Yemen make up the top 3 in countries of the world that have the most guns per 100 people. We’re number one, unsurprisingly.
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Police officers in Manchester conducted a raid recently on what they call the first 3-D printed gun factory. During the raid, officers discovered a 3-D printer they believe criminals were using to try and make a 3-D printed gun. The raid was conducted Thursday and the officers seized the printer and other components they believe […]
The US Army could incorporate armed robots in the field within the next five years, according to a report by Computerworld. A recent demonstration at Fort Benning by four robotics companies showed mechanized infantry eliminating targets from 150 meters away. Military strategists were satisfied with the demonstration. As Lt. Col. Willie Smith put it: “We […]
When most people hear the word "drone," they probably picture a cockpit-free plane zipping over the Iraqi desert. But there’s more to it than that. The Army is in the process of adopting a whole new generation of unmanned vehicles that will assist soldiers on the battlefield—and they’re by far the scariest remote-controlled cars you’ll ever see.
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The thing I appreciate about The Slingshot Channel is that it always brings projects two or three iterations past what I would ever think to pursue. The pencil shooter Joerg made last week was more of a curiosity. Not the most deadly thing we’ve seen by a long shot. See what I did there?
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