[drhagen]

It even has an xkcd: https://xkcd.com/2128/

[y-curious]

I'm mind-blown at how relevant that is here

[thaumasiotes]

Oddly, the example in the comic is an absolutely awful example of the phenomenon described in the caption. A robot that can induce targeted lightning strikes has obvious military applications. Screw search and rescue.

[kolinko]

Or perhaps it’s a meta comic about dual use :)

A lot of the claimed s&r applications are really a thin cover for military gear.

I remember trying to mentor a hardware startup on an event, and we just couldn’t find the common language with the girl that was pitching it. I just couldn’t see how the cases would justify the market.

Only later on I figured out that the cases were absurd, and all of them really a cover for military applications.

Finding survivors in a forest = finding partisans, is the most common one.

[ppsreejith]

To be pedantic, the comic doesn't mention _targeted_ lightning strikes.

[JumpCrisscross]

> robot that can induce targeted lightning strikes has obvious military applications

Rescue victims are just the co-operating category of hidden people.

[rightbyte]

The hookshot also is a weapon in OoT.

[A4ET8a8uTh0]

At this point, xkcd must be like Simpsons. They already did everything.

[amelius]

I'm starting to suspect that google is behind xkcd, i.e. running some generative AI script behind the scenes whenever someone looks for a comic.