Skip navigation.
New Mexico State University

Are Engineering and Technology Good or Bad?

Definitely Good!

tacos

Not an endorsement at all from NMSU!

Ever since the first Industrial Revolution, people have debated whether technology will be the downfall of humanity, or will usher in a new Renaissance of enlightenment for all mankind.

Today, the jury is in, and the verdict is . . .

A New Renaissance of Enlightenment for All Mankind


OK, maybe I overstate the significance, but still, you have to admit that there's something compelling about a company that will take orders for tacos from your smartphone, and then deliver them to your hand by unmanned quadrotor. Using the GPS reading from your phone, the Tacocopter will bring your order to your location (if you are within the designated delivery area).

This is about the most exciting technology I have read about since the Intel™80386 broke 25 MHz. It represents an important synergy between the Global Positioning System, portable Internet-connected devices and autonomous flying robots. It's almost as good as a jet pack.

. . . or it could mean that Skynet can find us where we hide and kill us with their quadrotor laser-firing death platforms.

Important update! Ach! I was totally taken in by a prank.

According to The Atlantic:

Some companies are born great, some companies achieve greatness, and some companies drop greatness on your face -- in the form of a taco.

The latter certainly applied to one of the greatest fake startups ever: TacoCopter. The prank company drew headlines with its stated plan to use "flying robots" to deliver tacos to smartphone-ordering customers. Basically, they wanted to use automated helicopters to reign deliciousness down on people. It was genius.

Sorry. But really, isn't this a great idea? Someday I see stranded commuters ordering tacos to be delivered by robots while they wait for traffic to open up. You'll see! This idea has legs!

I mean wings!


Displaying the Top Five Links. Click the List Titles for More Links
Order DNA Molecule Plush Dolls
Who wouldn't want them?
November 7 is Marie Curie's Birthday
2011 is the Year of Marie Curie
Girls Gadget Summer Camp
NY Times, August 18, 2011
New Publication from the National Academies
Expanding Minority Participation in STEM
When Computers were Women
The story of the ENIAC Programmers
Wait a minute. They really make these?
D-Wave Superconducting Quantum Computer
Bobak Ferdowsi - NASA Rock Star
. . . already has a girlfriend
FBI Pulls Plug on DNS Server Crutch
You should confirm that you're not infected
Slate Readers' Ideas for STEM
Hey! I'm Famous!
Second White House Science Fair
Noor Muhyi, Las Cruces High School attended
Statewide SketchUp Pro for K-12 schools
Free License Grants to Schools in U.S. and Canada
Virtual Skype Visits by NMSU Engineers
I need volunteers for this project
Google Science Fair 2012
The Google Science Fair 2012 has launched
What Do You Call a Classroom-size Trebuchet?
The Trebuchette!
NM Biotechnology and Biomedical Association
Promoting the New Mexico BioScience Industry