Why the Culture Wins: An Appreciation of Iain M. Banks (2017; by Joseph Heath)

Re:Why the Culture Wins: An Appreciation of Iain M. Banks (2... by Animats on Monday October 16, 2023 @02:46AM (#37896543)

That's desperately trying to tweak the technology so that he gets a society where knife fighters matter. Actually, those knife guys would be vulnerable to ordinary riot-control weapons - tear gas, Mace, flash-bangs, big plastic shields, etc. Or an RPG with a solid warhead to knock someone out of the fight by sheer kinetic energy. Herbert was writing before every combat organization had RPGs.

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Re:Why the Culture Wins: An Appreciation of Iain M. Banks (2... by angry_octet on Monday October 16, 2023 @08:39AM (#37899012)

There is mention that the shields act as molecular filters, protecting against poison gases. And the shockwave energy of an explosion was negated as an excessively fast high/low pressure wave front. Same with flash bangs. Big plastic shields are just another close quarters combat device, and not particularly useful unless in a phalanx.

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Re:Why the Culture Wins: An Appreciation of Iain M. Banks (2... by Animats on Monday October 16, 2023 @04:01PM (#37905635)

Mass times velocity equals mass times velocity. If you're hit by a solid round with an RPG rocket behind it, you're going down, no matter how good your forcefield armor is. Momentum is roughly that of an entire NFL offensive line.

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