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40s wartime blackouts, modern technology

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TParadox Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: The captain of her heart
#1: Mar 13th 2011 at 11:56:43 PM

What if the atomic bomb was never invented, and otherwise the lessons of World War II were not learned, so that surgical strikes were never deemed necessary and air-to-ground warfare never became more precise than "find the town, drop bombs?" Such that wartime in the 21st century still necessitated "put out that light!"-style blackouts?

What of the wireless technology? We've lit up our populated areas in microwave and radio signals! How would this affect usage of cellular phones and wi-fi? What specific developments would have had to be delayed to get to this point (would I have to completely scrap World War II)?

Fresh-eyed movie blog
MattII Since: Sep, 2009
#2: Mar 14th 2011 at 12:30:31 AM

Yeah, like surgical strikes were never carried out during the war (okay, those operations weren't spotless, but they were generally precise).

Frankly, I think you're fighting a losing battle trying to prevent surgical strikes, they'd just use fighters if they couldn't get the precision with bombers.

edited 14th Mar '11 1:48:11 AM by MattII

Yej (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: They can't hide forever. We've got satellites.
#3: Mar 14th 2011 at 9:18:35 AM

How do you avoid the planes using the GPS network for surgical strikes? Since you can pinpoint the plane's location to within a few metres, you know exactly when to drop the bombs, regardless of any other assisting tech/strategies.

breadloaf Since: Oct, 2010
#4: Mar 14th 2011 at 11:10:27 AM

Hm, so what was the reasoning behind why people not wishing to delve deeper into improving surgical strikes and precise bombing?

TParadox Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: The captain of her heart
#5: Mar 14th 2011 at 8:46:29 PM

Okay, perhaps not specifically that surgical strikes were never devised, but a total war situation happens. I suppose if GPS had been developed, it would be jammed as part of the blackout.

Fresh-eyed movie blog
RalphCrown Short Hair from Next Door to Nowhere Since: Oct, 2010
Short Hair
#6: Mar 15th 2011 at 12:37:13 PM

If you can posit that nuclear technology never came about, you can do the same for wireless technology. Keep the land lines and the broadcast media.

As a separate issue, have remote-controlled drones do the bombing. They don't show up on radar, so the populace depends on visual contact for warning.

Under World. It rocks!
MattII Since: Sep, 2009
#7: Mar 15th 2011 at 1:02:42 PM

If you can posit that nuclear technology never came about, you can do the same for wireless technology. Keep the land lines and the broadcast media.
It requires a lot more work though, because delaying/stopping nuclear technology requires exactly one intervention, stopping radio requires rather more.

As a separate issue, have remote-controlled drones do the bombing. They don't show up on radar, so the populace depends on visual contact for warning.
If it's remote controlled, they're constantly beaming radio to it, so that does nothing for its stealth, even if it is normally invisible to radar.

breadloaf Since: Oct, 2010
#8: Mar 15th 2011 at 1:21:37 PM

Well if it's remote controlled in that fashion, you'd know it's around but not exactly where, unless you could tightly beam your orders to it.

TParadox Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: The captain of her heart
#9: Mar 15th 2011 at 9:33:00 PM

If you can posit that nuclear technology never came about, you can do the same for wireless technology. Keep the land lines and the broadcast media.

The point was blacking out the wireless signals.

Fresh-eyed movie blog
Yej (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: They can't hide forever. We've got satellites.
#10: Mar 16th 2011 at 9:23:01 AM

I suppose if GPS had been developed, it would be jammed as part of the blackout.
Jamming GPS gives you a location fix on exactly one thing: the jamming antenna.

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