http://news.cnet.com/i/bto/20070322/1157960476967.jpg

After Lethal Weapon 2, the words "Diplomatic Immunity" will always sound a certain way when I read them in my mind's eye.

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

Sound is more important than graphics! Amigas can't run GS/OS!
Apple //gs+ is coming out any day now !!1!11!!

(If you don't understand this, please don't rate it.)

... if you use them to identify "goatse" !!!

The article Red Jesus linked is critical. It helped me understand the whole point of this Story. I know I shouldn't RTFA, but I couldn't help it this time.

Given how it blanketed the sky, I'd expect it is some sort of anti-missile/anti-aircraft defense component. Possibly related to stealth technology detection. Keep in mind the Russians have been making a nice chunk of change from helping Iran build nuclear plants and defend them. This would be the ideal time for the Russians to point out to the West, through a highly visible demonstration like this, that there may be some surprises in store for an attack on Iran.

My 2 cents.

Thank you. When I posted it I took a leap of faith that my fellow Slashdotters likely would get the reference. I wasn't let down. I think that is half the fun of this site: knowing that many of us share a lot of collective experiences.

Actually, as a few others have pointed out, it was originally from the classic sci/horror movie, John Carpenter's "Prince of Darkness." Good stuff.

DJ Shadow must have got his hands on the vinyl of that movie's soundtrack. ("Endtroducing" was a great album.)

We are unable to transmit through conscious neural interference. You are receiving this broadcast as a dream. We are transmitting from the year two zero one seven.

Turning off your enemies defenses is one thing, but what about when stuff like this is used to make the enemy seem to be on the offensive?

... wherein the Supreme Court (including Scalia, amazingly) held that peering into homes using equipment that was not available in common use by the layperson was within the bounds of the 4th amendment, and therefore requires a search warrant.

... shouldn't we assume the CIA and Mossad already know how to evade this detection?

Folks, the real news here isn't that DNA evidence could be forged. That was sort of a no-brainer to anyone who understands the parallels with digital evidence.

The real news is that the ability to DETECT the forgery is now being sold by a company in a nation with arguably the best intelligence service in the world.

This isn't "space alien with mind control ray" tinfoil hat stuff. It's basic extrapolation and logic.

Actually, and I'm sure you meant to say it, that's "Beyond a reasonable doubt" ... a much higher standard than the preponderance of evidence standard. (Criminal vs. civil.)

The main problem here is that juries are being asked to make findings of fact for which they arguably have no qualifications to make. Questions of science belong with scientists, not laypeople, and so juries are forced to rely on a battle of expert witnesses. As you point out, the 3 piece suit, authority, and style of an expert can be decisive, even when the evidence itself is hardly "beyond a reasonable doubt."

A disappointed public threatens research funding, but an unprepared public threatens chaos.

I'm more concerned with making sure we're thinking ahead to the radical change that is likely to come, be it in 10 years or 40, than to be concerned that lay people will distrust AI researchers.

A debate older than time_t ?