While the clockwork versions may still exist in small school planetariums, the digital-mechanical hybrids are all long gone. You can thank Evans and Sutherland for demoing a version back in the early 80's, using a single, b&w tube projector through a Nikon 8mm (fisheye) camera lens. In spite of limitations that you'd all laugh at, it was instantly obvious that this was the future.

MichaelSmith is correct, the digital video projectors have yet to get close to the pinpoint-sharpness of the old electro-mechanical projectors, and those monsters were a delight to watch in motion. But having operated those old beasts (Spitz STS), the limitations far outweigh the benefits.

With the near-perfect rendition of consistent motion across the entire field of view, a modern digital video planetarium can utterly swamp the viewer's visual cortex: "sharpness" just doesn't matter when you can fly through Saturn's rings. I can say that I can't discern the "blurry dots" once the show gets rolling, I'm pretty comfy asserting that the average viewer's just drooling while their brains leak out of their ears. Having endorsed the modern, I'll confess to a desire to sit and watch the last STS (at Eastern Kentucky University) just quietly "roll" the sky, but that's nostalgia talkin'.

As for playing a game on a digital video dome? Innnnnteresting. I'm happy to tell you that as a witness to the history MichaelSmith elevates, get outta my way, I'm goin' to Dr. Tyson's place for game-night.

I agree with you, CohibaVancouver, though the following joking reply comes to mind:

A CIA IT person who goes backpacking in Thailand for 5 weeks is going to enjoy double-secret-probation upon return.

I disagree.

1st Claim: The US military has a number of autonomous, currently unarmed examples include Global Hawk, X-37, and RQ-3. There are certainly others, and there may be armed examples.

2nd claim: It is easily argued that remote-killing does not fulfill the proportionality argument of just war (bellum iustum). The very fact that the US is so heavily investing in them, indicates that the loss of a UCAV is considered less costly than the loss of the crew, thus, we as a combatant are not subject to the same proportional losses as the other guy in an engagement using them.

While I won't fault anyone investing their treasure in technology to protect their troops, I acknowledge that there's a problem with disconnect when the asymmetry is large.

But back to your statements: 1) there ARE autonomous drones and 2) there is no ethical similarity between killing with a UCAV, gun or bare hands. Yes, they're all killing, but no, they're not at all equal in so doing, and the difference is so large as to nullify your claim.

Easy Starter Links: the interested party can go way deeper from here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Hawk
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/X-37
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RQ-3
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Atomics_Avenger
http://defensetech.org/2011/12/14/usaf-sending-new-drone-to-afghanistan/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Just_war

I agree, there are problems, and you've accidentally hit the principle one:

                                                                                                            tl;dr

Sadly, I disagree with you, and will continue to make the effort that I hope offsets your lack thereof.

...50 or 60 cycles? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_in_Japan

I don't mean to thread-jack, but the Empire strongly objects to your characterization of our "Truth Facilitation and Subjects' Rights Preservation" droids. They've been deployed to insure fair treatment and accurate recording of consensual testimony, preventing the excesses of law enforcement before the Empire, and ensuring the voice of the accused is heard. To refer to these sophisticated and sensitive instruments by a catchy epithet is counter-productive, citizen, and against the goals we all share towards the glory of our Empire, and the creator. May George have mercy on your soul.

Am I the only one who thought of William Gibson's "Zero History"? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero_History) This post instantly made me think of "the world's ugliest shirt." (I'm trying to avoid spoiling it for anyone, but this is a wonderful plot device.)

Dammit. AC'd by accident. My name is Ben, and I support Blue Parrot, and not Anonymously.