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Pentagon goes psycho

army one.JPGPosted for Tim Sands

I suddenly have an inexplicable urge apparently out of the blue to write about a new report on the military implications and applications of cutting-edge cognitive science. It’s almost as if someone is controlling my mind.

The report, entitled “Emerging Cognitive Neuroscience and Related Technologies” was commissioned from America’s National Research Council by the US Defence Intelligence Agency to provide a primer on what the latest advances in brain research mean for the intelligence community and to look into the possibilities of brain research for next-generation spookery.

One conclusion described in the executive summary is on the validity of brain scanning technology for use as a means of lie-detection. The report notes the lack of high-quality research in this area and questions the ability of both polygraph tests and more sophisticated functional neuroimaging methods to spot fibbing (see Nature, Nature and Nature). As for other, more speculative forms of mind-reading, it predicts that they will become increasingly important for the trench-coat-and-dark-glasses crowd but notes that there are great difficulties to overcome before such things become useful.


Drugs are another focus. The authors predict that as understanding of brain function advances, so will the new applications of neuropsychopharmacology – try saying that while under the influence of military-grade mind-bending drugs – to alter the mental states of friendly and enemy soldiers. Another angle considered is in the use of cognitive enhancment drugs (the use of which in the academic realm has been much reported upon) to make chemically improved super-soldiers. In the same vein, the report notes that sensory prostheses and brain-machine interfaces will become available and will enhance the capabilities of currently puny humans.

One intriguing musing in the report is on the possible use of software and robotic assistants to enhance human performance and also undertake monitoring of current events through the internet. However, it warns that these technologies will have to be watched closely as they are particularly likely to be also developed in: “…countries where software research and development is relatively inexpensive and where there exists a sizeable workforce with the appropriate education and skills.” I wonder who they could mean?

Several outlets writing about the report describe intriguing sounding new weapons systems not covered in the summary document. These include “pharmacological landmines” that spread mind-altering drugs rather death, destruction and serious injuries (International campaign to ban landmines).

Despite all these scary-sounding predictions, only Wired adds a note of caution, quoting George Mason University academic Hugh Gusterson, “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.”

Image: detail from DoD photo by Pfc. Rhonda Roth-Cameron, U.S. Army.

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