[Cryptography] Darpa wants a secure messaging app based on blockchains

[Ray Dillinger]

On 04/27/2016 01:54 PM, Henry Baker wrote:

> "(i) commercial application (including testing and evaluation of products, services or technologies for use in technical or ***weapons systems***)"
> 
> I'm at a bit of a loss to understand to whom -- other than the govt -- an SBIR company is allowed to sell its SBIR-financed "weapons system".

Eh.  Not all weapons are or should be government-exclusive.  If someone
developed something that was usable to restrain or immobilize a
combatant but would be really unlikely to do them lasting damage or
even cause significant pain, I think that would be preferred to
firearms and knives for civilian self-defense use.

Of course, like mace and all other "non-lethal" weapons, criminals
would also use them against victims.  But it's still nice if people
the criminals just want to rob, don't end up also dead.

	Bear


PS.  And of course there are uses not intended by the manufacturers.
I was really glad when they switched from mace to pepper spray; that
made a potent, if sort of flavorless, hot sauce widely available,
where up till then I'd had to either make my own, buy by mail, or
pay outrageous prices at rare specialty stores.  But then crooks
started using it on people they were about to rob.  So now they're
regulating access to pepper spray in my jurisdiction, and I've gone
back to raising scorpion peppers and making relish.  Much less
convenient, but on the other hand it has a better flavor and it's
less expensive.






-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: signature.asc
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 819 bytes
Desc: OpenPGP digital signature
URL: <http://www.metzdowd.com/pipermail/cryptography/attachments/20160427/ebc369d9/attachment.sig>