Sep 05 2011

El pulpo mecanico

Categories:

I need a battalion of these. Only question: do I hold them in reserve for my bid for world conquest, or do I succumb to temptation and use it in the classroom to intimidate the students?

(via io9)

(Also on Sb)

This post has no tag

14 comments

Skip to comment form ↓

1

AussieMike

5 September 2011 at 9:28 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

It would make crap calamari…..if you could ever kill it.
2

Dhorvath, OM

5 September 2011 at 9:46 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

You could do both.
3

PZ Myers

5 September 2011 at 10:00 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

But then I lose the element of surprise!
4

Don Quijote

5 September 2011 at 10:37 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

No chance of world conquest with them. They’ll want a four hour siesta.
5

Gold Dragon

5 September 2011 at 10:38 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

How about one of these for the office?

http://www.designboom.com/weblog/cat/8/view/12805/maximo-riera-octopus-chair.html
6

MFHeadcase, not frothing, its just toothpaste.

5 September 2011 at 11:10 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Easy peasy, use the squad of little ones like that for student intimidation.

The battalion of larger, nuclear powered ones for world domination.
7

Stephen Schuldt

5 September 2011 at 11:22 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

You should hold it in reserve for the first day.
Students walk in, take there seats, and do other new-studenty things.
15 minutes after class was suppose to start a din of chatter begins to rise because you are late and no one has seen or heard from you.
There is a loud thunk that echos through the class, suddenly the main wall of the classroom cracks open and rapidly swings back as this fire breathing brass behemoth lunges forth screaming in a hollow metal voice like that from a over driven speaker
“IGNORE ME!”
8

Ryan

5 September 2011 at 12:27 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

No, you could definitely do both. Unfortunately you would have to revert to the tactics of the church. Hold the octopi in reserve except one, in which you ruthlessly terrorize students ONLY in situations that leave a lot of doubt in their minds (crash a frat party at 1:30 when a .14 is the lowest BAC present, etc etc). That way, like the church you could inspire fear and modify behavior based on something that could never be shown to exist. Hell, you could probably set up a tax exempt ‘free-will donation’ to the church of keeping the fire breathing octopus from killing you in your sleep/PZ wants a summer home when he retires. When looking to be devious, look to the church, they’ve perfected the art over the last 1000 years.
9

24.7

5 September 2011 at 3:35 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

and THIS is why I love Burning Man….
10

David Osorio

5 September 2011 at 4:36 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

PZ, it’s “mecánico”.
11

Sili

5 September 2011 at 5:20 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Very Girl Genius.
12

sezme

5 September 2011 at 9:41 pm (UTC -5) Link to this comment

Didja notice at 0:52 two people riding on Segways? Burning Man just ain’t what it used to be.
13

Vinny

6 September 2011 at 12:27 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

“Didja notice at 0:52 two people riding on Segways? Burning Man just ain’t what it used to be.”

There were an amazing number of Segways, too much techno, but it was still an outstanding burn!
14

Crissa

6 September 2011 at 8:33 am (UTC -5) Link to this comment

It was very awesome… Until its mundane engine failed later in the week and had to be towed around.

Why aren’t Segways like Burning Man? Everything there is about applying the newest technology to build out the farthest, brightest, loudest. The rules about personal vehicles is clear: You may only have a powered device if you cannot sit while moving. Hence, no mopeds, but instead powered skateboards, scooters, and of course Segways. They kick up surprisingly little dust when kept to the speed limits (especially when compared to the powered scooters).

And the city was exactly a mile and a half across this year, with few straight lines. I don’t begrudge people Segways while I pedal or hoof it.

What you should be annoyed with is pre-built camps, RVs and attendees not bringing enough water, and hoteling. Radical self reliance needs the self reliable.