One scenario for malicious code in embedded devices would be a kind of killswitch which listens to a specific byte sequence and crashes when encountering it. For a state actor, having such an exploit would be gold.
One of my complaints about so many SciFi stories is the use of seemingly conventional weapons. I always thought that with so much advanced technology that weapons would be much more sophisticated. However if the next "great war" is won not by the side with the most destructive weapons but by the side with the best kill switch, subsequent conflicts might be fought with weapons that did not rely on any kind of computer assistance.
This is eerily similar to Einstein's (purported) statement that if World War III was fought with nuclear weapons, World War IV would be fought with sticks and stones. Similar, but for entirely different reasons.
I'm trying to understand why the characters in Dune fought with swords, pikes and knives.
> I'm trying to understand why the characters in Dune fought with swords, pikes and knives.
At least part of the reason is that the interaction between a lasgun and a shield would cause a powerful explosion that would kill the shooter too. No one wants that and no one will give up their shield, so they had to go back to melee weapons.
No, there is a in-world reason at least for no drones. Wikipedia:
> However, a great reaction against computers has resulted in a ban on any "thinking machine", with the creation or possession of such punishable by immediate death.
tl;dr - Machine intelligences existed in Dune history, were discovered to be secretly controlling humanity (through abortion under false pretenses, forced sterilization, emotional/social control, and other ways), then were purged and replaced with a religious commandment: "Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a human mind"
No, and there is a (piloted) drone attack in the first book -- Paul is attacked by a hunter-seeker.
The reason nobody tries to use the lasgun-shield interaction as a weapon is because the resulting explosion is indistinguishable from a nuclear weapon, and the Great Convention prohibits the use of nukes on human targets.
Just the perception of having used a nuclear device would result in the House which did so becoming public enemy #1 and being eradicated by the Landsraad and Sardaukar combined.
@Potro: If you liked the movie, read the books. I don't read a lot anymore, but during sick leave I started with the first book. Didn't stop until I finished the main story, including the sequels by Frank Herbert's son about a month later. That's like... uh... nine books?
In the book Paul is attacked by an insect drone while in his room. The drone was controlled by a Harkonnen agent placed weeks in anticipation inside a structure of the palace so it was also a suicide attack as the agent had no chance to escape and would die of hunger/thirsty if not found.
