The Trigger
by Arthur C. Clarke · first published 1999
4mentions
2recommended by
4HN commenters
2011–2020first – last mentioned
50% recommend50% neutral
In the middle of the 21st century, a team of scientists develops the ultimate protective weapon-a device that causes all nitrate-based bombs and explosives nearby to detonate automatically. It seems like a benevolent invention-one that will protect mankind against weapons of mass destruction. But as the scientists struggle to ensure their invention is used only for peaceful purposes, it becomes increasingly clear that even protective weaponry comes with its own moral trade-offs. Dr. Jeffrey Horton, the device's lead inventor, must fight to keep the weapon out of violent hands-and soon finds
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…it's wise to soberly consider all the uses of something, even when its initial use case is something we happen to like. A really decent sci fi novel that does some stuff around this question is "The Trigger" by Arthur C. Clarke: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/117844.The_Trigger if anyone wants a good read on the subject. Risking a spoiler: it deals with the importance of the question from a couple…
on “What if a pill can change your politics or religious beliefs?” ↗I liked Vernor Vinge's "A Fire Upon a Deep". This book is a goldmine of interesting concepts about alien species and their civilisations, completely different from "standard TV aliens". Also "The Trigger" by Arthur C. Clarke - it's a book about how an accidental discovery causes technological change, which transforms life of societies around the world. One of the best books I've ever read.
on “First Demonstration Of Time Cloaking” ↗The book The Trigger by Arthur C. Clarke and Michael P. Kube-McDowell covers that very idea, dealing with dangerous information that will eventually become public knowledge. It's not a main plot point for the book, but it…
on “Cody Wilson, Who Posted Gun Instructions Online, Sues State Department” ↗This headline immediately make me think of Arthur C. Clarke's "The Trigger".
on “Engineers Say They've Created a Way to Detect Bombs and Guns Using Basic Wifi” ↗