Future Challenges to the
BTWC: Neuroscience
SIPRI workshop 5/6.03.11
Steven Rose
s.p.r.rose@open.ac.uk
Themes
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1. Current developments in neuroscience
2. Likely relevant neurotech developments
3. Five dichotomies
4. Emerging issues relevant to BTWC
Genetic Manipulation
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Knock out, knock in
mouse models
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Human genome,
Epigenomics,
proteomics etc
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Windows into the brain
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fMRI
MEG
ERP
PET
Smart pharmacology
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Smart pharmacology
and single photon
confocal microscopy
The coming decades
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Four technoscientific developments of
potential significance to conflict and
control
1. Human-machine interfaces
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Visual and other
prostheses
Implanted chips
Transcranial magnetic
stimulation
2. Psychopathic Brains?
3. Brain imaging for surveillance
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“How do we determine if a person is a terrorist or
spy? There is a new technology, that ..allows us to
measure scientifically if specific information is stored
in a person’s brain. Brain Fingerprinting technology
can determine the presence or absence of specific
information, such as terrorist training and
associations. This exciting new technology can
help….
discover if a person:
Has committed terrorist acts
Has been trained as a terrorist
Is a terrorist leader…. (from the company website)
4. New psychochemicals
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Greater behavioural insights leading to new
control technologies
Rational drug design to interact with
neurotransmitters, receptors, affecting central
and peripheral nervous system
New methods of delivery for peptides etc
Five Conflict/Control Dichotomies
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Lethal/ ‘Non-lethal’
Military/ Civilian
Enhancing/ Degrading
Physical/(Bio)Chemical
CNS/PNS
Lethal/ ‘Non-Lethal’
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Lethal – nerve gases, toxins etc.
 Already covered by conventions – no new issues from
neuroscience although new genetic technologies make
possible wider range of specific toxins? Targeted ‘ethnic
weapons’?
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‘Non-Lethal’ aka ‘Riot Control’
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Agents that incapacitate, disorientate, induce pain or
loss of consciousness
 Many new issues
Military/Civilian
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Present conventions deal with military uses – do
not cover uses in civil conflict, by police etc.
Thus a grey area – witness past and current
events in Russia, Israel/Palestine, Libya …..
In general such civil conflict uses employ ‘nonlethal’ agents though often in contexts in which
they are far from non-lethal
Many nations have active ‘non-lethal’ research
programmes – ambiguous civil/military
intentions
Enhancement /Degradation
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Neuroscience advances offer military
technologies of enhancement to one’s own side
– eg brain/computer interfaces, cognitive and
attention enhancers (eg ritalin, modafanil)
as well as technologies of degradation to
opponents – again only degradation considered
here
Potential Physical (non CB)
Weaponry aimed at neural
systems
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Trans-cranial magnetic stimulation
Directed energy (microwaves, lasers etc)
Acoustic energy (sound blasters)
‘Active denial’
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etc (see Davison: ‘Non-lethal’ weapons, 2009; RS report 2011)
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Some in current production and use (eg IDF)
Some under US, Czech, German contracts
(Davison 2009, BMA 2007)
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Much snake-oil
Active Denial Technology
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‘a breakthrough non-lethal technology that uses
millimetre-wave electromagnetic energy to stop, deter
and turn back an advancing adversary from relatively
long range… ADT exploits intolerance of thermally
induced pain..maximised at a temperature of 550C’ but
‘does not burn’..
developed by Communications and Power Industries,
Palo Alto
2004 - system delivered by Raytheon to US military
Press release states device meets approved human and
animal research protocols (!)
(Girard, 2005)
The Scream Weapon
Bil’in, near Ramallah, June 6 2005
“new weapon knocks crowds off feet”
“the knees buckle high technology
toolkit”, the brain aches, the stomach
turns..the latest weapon in the Israeli
army’s toolkit”
(Press reports)
(Bio)Chemical agents aimed at PNS
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Tear gasses etc in this category:
Enhanced CS
Pepper ball (PAVA; capsaicin)
Agents causing temporary blindness or
neuromuscular relaxation/paralysis
Nb all can be lethal
The Pepperball
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IDF attack on peaceful
Israeli and Palestinian
protest against the Wall,
28 April 05
“a small transparent red
plastic ball …containing
a creamy white powder..
when it hits the skin and
explodes produces an
extreme burning
sensation”
(Giacaman, 2005)
Definitions for CNS non-lethals
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Highly potent
Duration hours to days but effects transient
Reversible effects
Low ED50, High LD50
(but impossible in practice)
Logistically feasible - i.e skin or breath
absorbable, cross BBB, weaponisable
‘Non-Lethal’ agents aimed at CNS
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‘off the rocker’ or ‘on the floor’ (Davison)
Incapacitating/calmative (thiopental, diazepam)
Sedative –hypnotic (barbiturates)
anxiolytic
Convulsant
Disorienting (BZ – muscarinic antagonist, other hallucinogens)
Paralysing/anaesthetic/analgesic (opioids, fentanyl)
Potential novel agents
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Non-cholinergic or opioid agonists/antagonists
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Receptor/reuptake inhibitors
‘Memory erasers’ (anti-CREB etc)
‘Trust inducers’ (oxytocin etc)
‘Mood-modifiers’
Derived from non-traditional drugs – peptides,
proteins, ge toxins etc