Steven,
I guess my multi level response too arcane for you. Think Mervyn Peake.

One of my MANY points to you was Killing is killing and dead is dead it matters little how it happens, just that it does.

In truth after years in security I can give you the ultra brief executive summary.

There is no such a thing as perfect security it all depends on how badly the perpetrator wants to break it.(do you/us harm)

Don't advertise what you have or how powerful your security defense) system is. The more you do the bigger the target you present.The more complex the plan the more room for errors (see MS Windows).

In my idiom have a beer and stay low, (this applies to home security too).

For those who are interested here is some youtube footage of the winner of the DARPA urban challenge. A robot car that can navigate through traffic autonomously.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lULl63ERek0

Bear in mind this is the "Model T" of robots. There are better more sophisticated 'bots in the pipeline. As the price of computing continues to fall and the knowledge base expands these will become ever more capable and cheaper - rather like PCs.

Bugsy wrote:

"They are on a losing team, that's why they're terrorists."

For once Bugsy we are in agreement!

However as terrorists are able to acquire ever better weapons the cost of defending against them grows. This cost manifests itself in the first instance financially. But there is a subtler cost. Society becomes less free and more paranoid. The state becomes more intrusive. Surveillance grows. By some estimates there are now close to 5 MILLION CCTC surveillance camera in operation in the UK.

In Western countries the terrorists cannot win; but they can make life unpleasant.

That being said I would say that for now the level of the terrorist threat in Australia is very low.

So what, you're worried about "Skynet", or the moral of robots killing us, or terrorists flogging ideas from DARPA, or what?.

Israel gets two more German submarines
(AFP)
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5j33iXawr-RpZpCmlIkVylnRAoUyg

Israel has taken delivery of two German submarines ordered four years ago,..a military spokesman said on Tuesday.

“We have received two Dolphin-class submarines built in Germany,” he said, on condition of anonymity.

The submarines, called U212s,..can launch cruise missiles carrying nuclear warheads,...although when it confirmed the sale in 2006 the German government said the two vessels were not equipped to carry nuclear weapons....lol

The subs were ordered in 2005 and delivery was initially expected in 2010.

Including the two new ones, Israel has five German submarines — the most expensive weapon platforms in Israel’s arsenal.

Germany, which believes it has a historic responsibility to help Israel because of the mass murder of Jews in World War II, donated the first two submarines after the 1991 Gulf War.

It split the cost of the third with the Jewish state.

According to Jane’s Defence Weekly, the U212s are designed for a crew of 35, have a range of 4,500 kilometres (2,810 miles) and can launch cruise missiles carrying nuclear warheads.

Israeli media have written that the Dolphin submarine could be key in any attack on arch-foe Iran’s controversial nuclear sites.

An Israeli submarine recently used the Suez Canal for the first time in June, escorted by Egyptian navy vessels, in what Israeli media said was intended as a message to Iran.

Widely considered the Middle East’s sole if undeclared nuclear power, Israel suspects Iran of trying to develop atomic weapons under the guise of a civilian nuclear programme, a charge Tehran denies.
http://republicbroadcasting.org/?p=4630

should note that vonly iran allows outside scruitiny of its nuke arseenall..israel is really secrative about allowing anyone even know it has nukes[and a launch vehicle...hope iran dont think of laying magnetic/proximinty/movment detecting/mines..loll

On the topic of automonous robots. I do not feel threatened by any autonomous robot at the moment. Army intelligence estimates that robots may achieve automonousy by 2020-2042. If we were to come under the attack of "terminators" a single nuclear blast detonated before it hit the ground would cause an EMP blast shortcircuting anything with circuts. This includes digital watches, computers, tv's, and even pacemakers. What I would be more concerned about is a computer program in charge of nuclear use. Meaning, an automatic defence response initiated by the computer. If some "bug" would happen in the computer, then it may set off a chain reaction (assuming other powers had such computers). I doubt any nation would use this technology, given the chance that the doomsday situation described above should occur. I also support nuclear arms amound the super powers. It prevents us from making conventional war with eachother.