ABC Radio National’s All in the Mind has a compelling discussion about the development and dangers of weapons designed to target the brain and nervous system.
The guests on the programme are Prof Malcom Dando and Dr Mark Wheelis, who have recently written a paper for the International Red Cross entitled ‘Neurobiology: A Case Study of the Imminent Militarization of Biology’ [pdf].
The programme largely focuses on what we known about the secret development of nerve agents, based on the glimpses we see of them in action – for example, during the Moscow theatre siege of 2002, where Russian special forces used an opiate-based ‘knock out gas’ that resulted in the death of 129 hostages.
Interestingly, one of the guests notes that although these sorts of compounds are banned for use in war under international treaties, these regulations can have specific exemptions that allow them to be used in civilian ‘crowd control’ operations.
So while it would be illegal to use some drugs as weapons against soldiers, governments are, in some cases, allowed to use them on their own population.
It’s fascinating and somewhat troubling coverage of a too-rarely discussed topic.
Link to AITM on ‘Bioterrorism and Your Brain’.
Link to full-text of ‘Neurobiology: A case study of the imminent militarization of biology’.
Mind Hacks 