In a report released yesterday with the ponderous title Emerging Cognitive Neuroscience and Related Technologies, a special National Research Council committee evaluates potential US military programs to:- Develop pharmaceuticals that will make soldiers want to fight, and other drugs to disrupt an enemy’s motivation to fight and to make enemies obey US commands.
- Develop new lie-detection techniques using neurological imaging to scan the thoughts of suspected terrorists, immigrants crossing US borders and others.
- Improve brain-to-machine interfaces so that robots, for example, can accept human thoughts as commands.
The Department of Defense convened the committee to examine the military potential related to these emerging areas of neurological and behavioral science. According to one committee member, the military is intrigued with new developments in mind control and brain-altering drugs.
“It’s important for us to get ahead of the curve,” said Jonathan Moreno of the Center for American Progress. “Soldiers are always on the cutting edge of new technologies.”
Another viewpoint comes from a critic of such research.
"I think most reasonable people, if they imagine a world in which all sides have figured out how to control brains, they'd rather not go there," Hugh Gusterson, a George Mason University critic of military social-science research, told Wired magazine. "Most rational human beings would believe that if we could have a world where nobody does military neuroscience, we'll all be better off. But for some people in the Pentagon, it's too delicious to ignore."
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