Neuroweaponry - The Dark Side of Neuroscience Research

[Laidback Al]

Just published in ScienceNews is Laura Sanders' comments on the uses and possible misuses of neuroscience research. She is discussing a collection of paper from a recent issue of Synesis (table of contents presented below).

Future wars may be fought by synapses

Neuroscientists consider defense applications of recent insights into the brain
By Laura Sanders
December 17th, 2011; Vol.180 #13 (p. 14)

Instead of the indiscriminate destruction of the atom bomb or napalm, the signature weapon of future wars may be precise, unprecedented control over the human brain. As global conflicts become murkier, technologies based on infiltrating brains may soon enter countries? arsenals, neuroethicists claim in a paper published online October 31 in Synesis. Such ?neuroweapons? have the capacity to profoundly change the way war is fought.
Advances in understanding the brain?s inner workings could lead to a pill that makes prisoners talk, deadly toxins that can shut down brain function in minutes, or supersoldiers who rely on brain chips to quickly lock in on an enemy?s location.
The breadth of brain-based technologies is wide, and includes the traditional psychological tactics used in earlier wars. But the capacity of the emerging technologies is vastly wider ? and may make it possible to coerce enemy minds with exquisite precision.
...
Giordano and Wurzman also describe drugs, microbial agents and toxins derived from nature that could harm enemy brains in a more traditional way. The list includes a neurotoxin from a shellfish that is water soluble, able to be aerosolized and causes death within minutes; a bacterium that can induce hallucinations, itchiness and strange tastes; and an amoebic microbe that crawls up the olfactory nerve to invade the brain, where it kills brain tissue.

?The article contains an arsenal of neuroweapons, and these raise lots of ethical and legal issues,? says bioethicist Jonathan Marks of Pennsylvania State University in University Park. ?Any kind of drug that you administer for national security purposes raises profound questions.?
. . .
The United States military is investing in brain-related research, though it?s difficult to get a solid estimate of how much research is happening, Moreno says. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, lists several neuroscience-related projects on its website, including ?Accelerated Learning,? ?Neurotechnology for Intelligence Analysts? and ?Cognitive Technology Threat Warning System.? . . . for the rest of the article see http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/336028/title/Future_wars_may_be_fought_by_synapses

Here is the contents of the Synesis thematic volume. The link to each article leads to a full pdf file.

Volume 2, 2011
Thematic Section
Neurotechnology in National Security, Intelligence and Defense
Editors: James Giordano, PhD, Chris Forsythe, PhD


Foreword-Neurotechnology in national security, intelligence and defense
Michael Swetnam
Synesis 2011; 2(1): T1-2

Guest Editorial-National security in the era of neuroscience
Jonathan D. Moreno, PhD
Synesis 2011; 2(1): T3-4

Introduction-On the need for neurotechnology in the national intelligence and defense agenda: Scope and trajectory
Chris Forsythe, PhD, James Giordano, PhD
Synesis 2011; 2(1): T5-8​

Instantiating the progress of neurotechnology for applications in national defense intelligence
Mary Layne Kalbfleisch, PhD, Chris Forsythe, PhD
Synesis 2011; 2(1): T9-16

Transitioning brain research from the laboratory to the field
Steve Murray, PhD , Matthew A. Yanagi
Synesis 2011; 2(1): T17-25

Neurocognitive engineering for systems development
Kelvin S. Oie , PhD, Kaleb McDowell, PhD
Synesis 2011; 2(1): T26-37

Training: Neural systems and intelligence application
Kay Stanney, PhD, Kelly Hale, PhD, Sven Fuchs, Angela Baskin, Chris Berka
Synesis 2011; 2(1): T38-44

Neurotechnology and operational medicine
Carey Balaban, PhD
Synesis 2011; 2(1): T45-54

Neurotechnologies as weapons in national intelligence and defense ? An overview
James Giordano, PhD, Rachel Wurzman
Synesis 2011; 2(1): T55-71

 

[Emily]

Re: Neuroweaponry - The Dark Side of Neuroscience Research

http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/sapolsky09/sapolsky09_index.html

TOXO [12.4.09]
A Conversation with Robert Sapolsky
[snip]
You want to know something utterly terrifying? Here's something terrifying and not surprising. Folks who know about Toxo and its affect on behavior are in the U.S. military. They're interested in Toxo. They're officially intrigued. And I would think they would be intrigued, studying a parasite that makes mammals perhaps do things that everything in their fiber normally tells them not to because it's dangerous and ridiculous and stupid and don't do it. But suddenly with this parasite on board, the mammal is a little bit more likely you go and do it. Who knows? But they are aware of Toxo....

There is a fascinating video interview at the link.