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Report: Soldiers With ‘Mutant Powers’ Coming…But Is Anyone Considering the Implications?

Dec. 31, 2012 9:55pm
California Polytechnic Researchers Report Says Discussion Needed Before Soldiers Are Enhanced With Technology

This handout photo shows the “Scorpion ensemble” of battle dress for U.S. soldiers that was developed at the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center and expected to see action 2011. This combat uniform will weighs only 40 to 50 pounds and includes communications, night vision gear, body senors and the latest technology in protective armor. (Photo: AP/U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center,Sarah Underhill, handout)

Although the idea of using technology to enhance the human body or mind for both health and military purposes is nothing new, a report is saying the field is advancing so rapidly that the ethical considerations for military use can no longer be overlooked.

The report by California Polytechnic State University researchers Patrick Lin,  Maxwell Mehlman and Keith Abney for The Greenwall Foundation states there is a “significant lag time” between development of technology and discussion of its proper use. They believe the government from a policy direction is not yet adequately considering the implications of such technology either.

They wrote:

As with other emerging military technologies, such as robotics and cyber-capabilities, human enhancement technologies challenge existing laws and policy, as well as underlying ethical values. But while the implications of human enhancement generally have been widely discussed, little analysis currently exists for the military context—specifically operational, ethical, and legal implications of enhancing warfighters, such as:

How safe should these human enhancements and new medical treatments be prior to their deployment (considering recent controversies such as mandatory anthrax vaccinations)? Must enhancements be reversible or temporary (considering that most warfighters will return to society as civilians)? Could enhancements count as “biological weapons” under the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (considering that the term is not clearly defined)?

[...]

[...] it is imperative to start considering the issues before novel technologies fully arrive on the scene and in the theater of war.

The report “Enhanced Warfighters; Risk, Ethics and Policy” delves into not only the ethical implications, but also the legal, policy and potential misuses of technological enhancement of soldiers. These enhancements range from removable exoskeletons to internal implants to drugs — all of which could be used for a variety of purposes ranging from enhanced mobility, protection, senses and more.

California Polytechnic Researchers Report Says Discussion Needed Before Soldiers Are Enhanced With Technology

Example of a soldier wearing an exoskeleton, which is designed to add strength. (Photo: DARPA via Wikipedia)

The implications from such enhancements also vary. Some impact the soldier directly (should they be required to take up an enhancement that would require a surgical operation?) while others impact the community even outside of wartime (what happens when enhanced soldiers are reintegrated into society as veterans?). These are just a couple of the many considerations in the report.

Wired’s Danger Room reported about “biomods” last week, which would genetically enhance soldiers with “mutant powers” and could be considered an example of an enhancement technology. Here’s a bit more from Wired about Andrew Herr and the research he is conducting along this line to give you a sense of what’s being done in the field:

In 2009 Herr was assigned to a Pentagon-funded project aimed at understanding “unit cohesion.” That is, what makes one group of soldiers keep fighting through hunger, thirst, exhaustion, confusion, and the deaths of comrades. Unit cohesion has won and lost conflicts since the beginning of warfare, but it was still poorly understood.

For his unit cohesion study, Herr interviewed Army infantrymen, Navy submariners and Air Force drone operators. Partway into the two-year study Herr had an epiphany. “The ‘aha’ moment,” Herr tells Danger Room, “was seeing a link between an objective physiological phenomenon — knowing the effects on the body and brain of stress hormones — and how that matched with all the literature on unit cohesion.”

In other words, Herr had a vision of the stress hormones that our glands pump into our bloodstreams in life-or-death situations, and, in turn, impact the behavior of trained combat units. Tracing this physiological blueprint for combat effectiveness, Herr realized it could be altered biologically. “All of sudden the Matrix made sense,” Herr says, referencing the secret world of the eponymous 1999 sci-fi film.

The military could select troops and their officers for their unique, inborn ability to cope with stress. Or it could directly tweak a soldier’s body functions — re-balancing the normal hormonal cocktail so the soldier doesn’t panic, doesn’t retreat and keeps on fighting, even when the odds are against him and any normal person would just give up.

Specific enhancement methods Herr studied include: focused diet and exercise regimens; injections of the stress-inhibiting brain molecule neuropeptide Y; electroshock-style Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation to boost thinking; and gene therapy for enhancing a whole host of body functions by literally altering a person’s DNA with viruses or chemicals.

Wired’s article on this specific enhancement goes into even greater detail. Read the full post here.

Some of the questions the California Polytechnic researchers believe the military needs to ask as it moves forward with creating these types of enhancements are: is there a legitimate military use? Is it really necessary, meaning there aren’t other alternatives that could accomplish the intended goal? Do the benefits outweigh the risks? Is the solider’s dignity maintained and is their consent received? Also, transparency with the public about enhancement research and use is mentioned as important. The researchers cited public outcry at recent legislation for drone use over U.S. soil due to feelings of lack of transparency and understanding about the technology’s use.

The researchers conclude that more collaboration between stakeholders needs to take place as “science and technologies underwriting human enhancements are marching ahead.”

Read the full report that will be distributed Jan. 1, 2013, here.

Related:

(H/T: Wired)

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Comments (66)

1 2
  • breakobamanow
    Posted on January 1, 2013 at 4:54am

    Is this that which was spoken of by the prophet Daniel? I believe the Bible clearly shows, we are the clay.

    Daniel 2:40-44
    And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.
    And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters’ clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.
    And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken.
    And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.
    And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

    Report this comment

    breakobamanow  
  • Zcat
    Posted on January 1, 2013 at 3:29am

    Hell no, look at the dewits we have in Washington, they don’t think! Vote them all out before they do every American and the entire country in! For God sakes they are the PROBLEM!!!

    Report this comment

    Zcat  
    • YAHSHUARULES
      Posted on January 1, 2013 at 4:27am

      The problem with these ethical studies is the people doing them have no ethics. We have grown exponentially in technological advances but when it comes to growth in spiritual things we are basically Neanderthals. That is what is so terribly frightening we have technological god like powers and we have as a society the spiritual insight and integrity of a newborn. Frightening the direction this is all going. Freedom without morality, character and ethics leads to destruction.

      Do you know who theFabians (with logo of wolf in sheep’s clothing), SDS, Frankfurt School and Willi Munzenberg, John Dewey , Antonio Gramsci, Mattechine Society, Alinksi (who dedicated his book “Rules for Radicals to Lucifer), which Obama taught in Chicago for years, Committees of Correspondence are? Connect all the dots…

      All part of the Agenda to create an America so corrupt it stinks; use public policy to subvert America from inside, infiltrate and influence our culture driving us in a direction designed to destroy us. . If you don’t know all this you need to find out!
      I have watched it 12X to absorb all that is in it!

      This is the most comprehensive, best movie I have seen pulling all this together. Watch it. Share it. Arrange a showing in church, groups, clubs, with friends or family. Everyone who loves America needs to see this movie,
      It is free on line for the moment

      https://vimeo.com/52009124

      Report this comment

      YAHSHUARULES  
    • TAXLORDCOMETH
      Posted on January 1, 2013 at 10:59am

      Yashua — great post! It is so true. We are hurtling down the path of technology without even considering the economic implications, much less moral or spiritual. There is a legend in the UFO community about an alien named Jrod. According to the legend, Jrod was actually a future human that came back through time to warn us not to go down the path of technology. The decisions we were making now were having severe consequences for the future. Even if the story is pure fiction, the message is relevant. We don’t need smarter phones or laptops — we need smarter and wiser humans.

      Report this comment

      TAXLORDCOMETH  
    • SouthTexan
      Posted on January 1, 2013 at 3:03pm

      The lack of transparency on everything the feds do is a betrayal of We the People. The corruption is too entrenched. Voting only exchanges one criminal from the next as they dictate our candidate choices.

      The only feasible plan to restore the Constitution and take back our country is now underway. Spread the word!
      http://www.joinamericaagain.com/step1.php

      Report this comment

      SouthTexan  
  • media-bias-steals-elections
    Posted on January 1, 2013 at 2:58am

    The only thing such research does, is breed mistrust of the government, and should be actively discouraged? Integration with technology likely would involve the loss of will (freedom of choice) the human mind is too complicated and fragile to tolerate such experiments?

    Humans are already overwhelmed with the amount of data at their finger tips, technology will help us keep up with our reproduction (we are not a threat to the planet), but we are not going to engineer ourselves into better beings? Techology helps us mass produce food, but other than shield us from the environment or improve it, we really shold not see a use for it?

    Let’s say you designed a machine that let you learn Judo in ten minutes, but it also removed your ability to not break people’s bones without feeling remorse? Think society is going tolerate that, or just design a bunch of robots that you “in theory” can turn off or hope they are not stolen by superior communication technology that locks you out of it once you build it?

    If you have to think about it, don’t do it?

    Report this comment

    media-bias-steals-elections  
  • fedlibertarian
    Posted on January 1, 2013 at 2:41am

    Anyone see “Soldier” with Kurt Russel? Babies raised as super soldiers by the military soon to be replaced by genetically altered even more superior soldiers? Soon we will be birthing babies in incubators in order to raise them as meat for the grinder so the fat happy well-fed Americans don’t need to worry about sending their children to sacrifice; our brilliant leaders will be able to deploy these troops at a whim without repercussions.

    Report this comment

    fedlibertarian  
    • YAHSHUARULES
      Posted on January 1, 2013 at 4:33am

      This is what happens when a society is no longer moral.
      To destroy the family of mother and father – where father is priest of his household, provider, protector, discipliner, instill virtures, integrity, modesty, who brings his children up in the admonition of the Lord. Gives them a MORAL compass to function in a free society. Our Founders knew that only a biblical literate MORAL people could handle the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution. Freedom without morality destroys. America was great because America was good.

      The left rots and perverts every decent thing.

      The Agenda to create an America so corrupt it stinks; use public policy to subvert America from inside, infiltrate and influence our culture driving us in a direction designed to destroy us. . If you don’t know all this you need to find out!
      I have watched it 12X to absorb all that is in it!

      This is the most comprehensive, best movie I have seen pulling all this together. Watch it. Share it. Arrange a showing in church, groups, clubs, with friends or family. Everyone who loves America needs to see this movie,
      It is free on line for the moment

      https://vimeo.com/52009124
      If America goes down, the free world will go down with it and it will be finished for a very, very long time…

      Report this comment

      YAHSHUARULES  
    • searcher619
      Posted on January 1, 2013 at 10:29am

      Wrong. We will be replacing human fighters with robots/androids which are easier to control and more durable. I also see us breeding soldiers which are not human. People are so hung up on the human form but in reality we are too fragile. Why would you send in a person to fight when you can build a machine which is far more deadly and durable? Large advancements are being made in robotics and AI.

      Report this comment

      searcher619  
    • Centurian
      Posted on January 1, 2013 at 12:10pm

      Searcher619:

      Think about, for one second, what you wrote:

      “We will be replacing human fighters with robots/androids which are easier to control and more durable. . . . People are so hung up on the human form but in reality we are too fragile. Why would you send in a person to fight when you can build a machine which is far more deadly and durable?”

      War should always be a nasty proposition to take part in. By turning the whole process into a matter of hitting a few buttons, it lowers the mental cost of war to the person pushing the button. We should be advancing the process in wars are avoided, not ‘sanitized’.

      Maybe I misunderstood your post, and I am hoping I did. War should be avoided, but I realize there are times when a line is drawn in the sand and we must hold our ground. But I am very concerned about us turning the whole process into another ‘Command and Conquer’ video game.

      Report this comment

      Centurian  
    • Centurian
      Posted on January 1, 2013 at 12:23pm

      YAHSHUARULES;

      Great point, but this is nothing new.

      A brief look at history shows us what happens when education, masked in the guise of ‘enlightenment’, is used to advance a mantra, or belief system.

      Again, the perfect example of this would be Nazi Germany. There was an excellent book written several years ago titled “The Nazi Doctors.” The book, in great detail, explained how Hitler used academia to advance his causes by having the great German thinkers of the day expound upon the greatness of the Aryan race over others, and how Jews were inferior beings who were barely human and worth eradication.

      The dilemma has always been that ethics are lost when logic and science are made the ‘new god’ of the masses. It has always been my contention that all men have a god; all have something that they worship- be it themselves, money, deity, etc.,.

      In this case, the new deity is logic and science, masked in the belief that freedom is found in science and the freedoms that it brings. Yet, history shows the opposite.

      I would rather live in a society where morality prevailed, humanity was an admirable trait, and society norms (i.e. community cohesion) were understood to be a necessity, and the “it’s all about me” mindset was abhorred.

      Report this comment

      Centurian  
  • TotallyNotATroll
    Posted on January 1, 2013 at 2:14am

    Sounds like good timing for all of us to give up our guns.

    Report this comment

    TotallyNotATroll  
    • RepubliCorp
      Posted on January 1, 2013 at 2:48am

      ( re-balancing the normal hormonal cocktail so the soldier doesn’t panic, doesn’t retreat and keeps on fighting, even when the odds are against him and any normal person would just give up.) It didn’t work for Japan……….

      Report this comment

      RepubliCorp  
  • Hotconchick
    Posted on January 1, 2013 at 12:50am

    Gives a whole new meaning to Obamabots.

    Report this comment

    Hotconchick  
  • mydh12
    Posted on January 1, 2013 at 12:45am

    Sounds like the “Bourne” movies.

    Report this comment

    mydh12  
    • TAXLORDCOMETH
      Posted on January 1, 2013 at 11:02am

      This technology they are publicizing is already decades old. Trust me, all of it already exists and way, way beyond what you are looking at here.

      Report this comment

      TAXLORDCOMETH  
    • gbo
      Posted on January 1, 2013 at 12:29pm

      @TAXLORDCOMETH is correct. If you are hearing about it, it has already been tested, prototyped, and probably put in limited production and deployment. Since the time to consider problems is before they are created, I assume these types of studies are merely positive-spin public relation events designed to comfort naive information consumers, and another example of wasted taxpayer money.

      Seriously folks, when has military leadership ever considered the dignity or consent of its enlisted, non-comms, and junior comms?

      Report this comment

      gbo  
  • Jedrin
    Posted on January 1, 2013 at 12:31am

    They will be treated as fighting dogs, for they are not human and therefore do not have any “rights”. Heinlein’s story “Friday” goes into it some. It can be scary either way, they need to be covered by the constitution or else it would be too easy to use them against us. And could they be charged with cannibalism if they eat us? I don’t want to be a food source…….

    Report this comment

    Jedrin  
  • Jedrin
    Posted on January 1, 2013 at 12:27am

    They will be treated as fighting dogs, for they are not human and therefore do not have any “rights”. Heinlein’s story “Friday” goes into it some.

    Report this comment

    Jedrin  
  • BobtheMoron
    Posted on January 1, 2013 at 12:23am

    God help us!!

    Report this comment

    BobtheMoron  
  • Platonician
    Posted on January 1, 2013 at 12:19am

    “Is the solider’s dignity maintained and is their consent received?”

    Is the solider’s dignity maintained when gay depravity and bestiality are promoted by their commander in chief?

    Report this comment

    Platonician  
  • soybomb315_II
    Posted on December 31, 2012 at 11:47pm

    too much money and too much time on their hands

    cut it down to size

    Report this comment

    soybomb315_II  
  • TRILO
    Posted on December 31, 2012 at 11:26pm

    Technology is now being used for evil. From the introduction of GMO’s to our food supply, cloning of animals with the intent on using the practice on humans in the future, invasive surveillance equipment, drones and now modified soldiers. As if drones that indiscriminately spy and kill are not enough, we now need super advanced soldiers to get involved in more wars in foreign lands with no end in sight. Now our troops are heading to Africa. We will now cover all corners of the globe with our military. Everywhere except our southern border. Why?

    Years ago I was naive and believed in the what Bush told us. The more I read, the more I learn, the more I am convinced all of these wars were planned decades ago. What the true objective is hard to say, except it will not have a good ending. We arm the enemy of our enemies (Al Qaeda), we then fight them, just to turn around and give them arms and funding. Anyone ever wonder just how the Patriot Act was produced so quickly after 9/11? I guess it just happened to be sitting on a shelf waiting for the right crisis. Just like Feinstien’s anti gun bill. Remember, never let a good crisis go to waste. Both parties believe in the same philosophy.

    Science has stopped working for the health and well being of humanity. It is now working for bankers, profits and world domination. This is a very dangerous and unethical endeavor to embark upon. The repercussions will be catastrophic to the human race both physically and spiritually.

    Report this comment

    TRILO  
  • RestoreCapitalism
    Posted on December 31, 2012 at 11:17pm

    I have long thought that perhaps the locusts described in Revelation are actually modern soldiers in high tech war gear.

    Report this comment

    RestoreCapitalism  
    • Battle1925
      Posted on December 31, 2012 at 11:23pm

      I can’t wait till they make MASTER CHIEF

      Report this comment

      Battle1925  
    • Anonymous T. Irrelevant
      Posted on January 1, 2013 at 2:00am

      Here come the GI JOES.
      Science STILL hasn’t cured diabetes and other diseases, but work feverishly to invent stuff for the Army.

      Report this comment

      Anonymous T. Irrelevant  
    • 1776freedomofspeech
      Posted on January 1, 2013 at 8:31am

      @Anonymous T. Irrelevant

      The pay may be better. I think history and evidence may prove that the powers that be are not that concerned about saving life, but more concerned about controlling life, keeping costs down while do that and keeping you busy so you don’t have time to figure out how badly you are being jerked around.

      Report this comment

      1776freedomofspeech  
  • m14guy
    Posted on December 31, 2012 at 11:05pm

    Saw all of this is an Army brochure in the early ’60′s. Samo-samo. Hang around long enough you get to see everything again and again and again. It still comes down to the 19 year old with a rifle & bayonet (yea dumb-ass we still have them) standing on the hill. I speak from experience.

    Report this comment

    m14guy  
    • Dismayed Veteran
      Posted on January 2, 2013 at 12:21pm

      Somebody always has to ruck up and it is 19 year olds with a rifle and bayonet.

      Technology is neutral. It is inanimate. It is just how you use it.

      Report this comment

      Dismayed Veteran  
  • Schitzoid_Avenger
    Posted on December 31, 2012 at 11:00pm

    I’m thinking of the comments I’ve heard from military and science people before about how by the time the public hears about something it has already been deployed in the field for years. That was in context of hardware tech (jets, communications etc.) but there is no reason it couldn’t apply to the bio-tech as well.

    DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) has been working on “Force Enhancement” or super soldier programs since the 50′s. The Nazis were obsessed with it, and we collected a lot of their scientists after WW2 through project ‘Paper Clip.’

    Report this comment

    Schitzoid_Avenger  
  • gzorpe
    Posted on December 31, 2012 at 10:40pm

    “With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility”! … Stan Lee (Marvel Comics)

    Report this comment

    gzorpe  
  • lassiegirldawn
    Posted on December 31, 2012 at 10:38pm

    “Open the bomb bay doors Hal”

    Report this comment

    lassiegirldawn  
  • The-Monk
    Posted on December 31, 2012 at 10:35pm

    All that fancy equipment and he’s still not holding a ray-gun…..

    Report this comment

    The-Monk  
  • drenfroe
    Posted on December 31, 2012 at 10:31pm

    That will definitly be the end of civilization and it is insanity to even contemplate doing these things against humanity.

    Report this comment

    drenfroe  
  • Just in time
    Posted on December 31, 2012 at 10:21pm

    Technolgy has definately surpassed humanity

    Report this comment

    Just in time  
  • longarm
    Posted on December 31, 2012 at 10:12pm

    Reminds me of a movie from the 90′s called Jacob’s Ladder. Soldiers were given drugs that were to make them killing machines and they ended up turning on each other. One of the most bizarre movies I have ever seen.

    Report this comment

    longarm  
    • lassiegirldawn
      Posted on December 31, 2012 at 10:20pm

      It isn’t a movie anymore, what do you think is happening to our military right now. There are more suicides in 2012 than combat deaths.

      Report this comment

      lassiegirldawn  
    • Bodacious_Boedi
      Posted on January 1, 2013 at 1:01am

      It was a totally implausible movie…..casting Tim Robbins as a soldier??? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

      Report this comment

      Bodacious_Boedi  
  • RLTW
    Posted on December 31, 2012 at 10:08pm

    The exoskeleton pic is so old and the tech has not come very far, power is the key and battery tech just isn’t there yet.

    When the coolest thing in the world requires 50lbs of batteries it’s not.

    Report this comment

    RLTW  
    • SerikFox
      Posted on January 1, 2013 at 1:59pm

      That’s not entirely true. And as far as power goes; if they can find a way to arrange nanotubes, then they could potentially make a capacitor that would be small enough to hold in your hand, but hold enough energy to power several of these exoskeletons. I remember an article a while back talking about using something like “tweezers” to grab tiny particles. Just refine that tech enough…

      Report this comment

      SerikFox  
  • Advection
    Posted on December 31, 2012 at 10:04pm

    Beck was correct when he said this country is becoming the worst nightmare in human history.

    Report this comment

    Advection  
  • lookes2003
    Posted on December 31, 2012 at 10:03pm

    As long as they swear to uphold the Constitution, and not a tyrant…

    Report this comment

    lookes2003  
    • Schitzoid_Avenger
      Posted on December 31, 2012 at 10:51pm

      As long as the keep the ability to make that choice and recognize the distinction…

      I’m afraid we are more likely to see “Universal Soldier” as apposed to “Captain America.”

      Report this comment

      Schitzoid_Avenger  
    • GuruMeditation
      Posted on January 1, 2013 at 9:10am

      They do what they wish whether they swear to uphold the constitution or not. Man’s word means little.

      Report this comment

      GuruMeditation  
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