Pentagon Working on "Human Fear" Weapons

An anonymous reader writes "Animals use pheromones to attract each other for sex, and warn each other of danger. Now, Wired reports, military researchers are working to harness the 'human fear' pheromone to create a scent of terror. The pheromone could lead to smell-based terrorist sensors, and new weapons that rely on 'contagious' stress."

What could happen

[by Anonymous Coward]

I fear it might not work.

Re:What could happen

[spun (1352)]

I think you may be right. The vomeronasal [wikipedia.org] organ is vestigial or nonexistant in humans, and there don't appear to be any connections between even vestigial vomeronasal organs and the brain.

Re:What could happen

[Lumpy (12016)]

actually fear weapons are quite effective...

They did some testing and a army team facing a fight when told the enemy all has body armor piercing ammunition the dynamics of the team changed drastically and started to show signs of fear which would reduce their effectiveness as they would be much more cautious in their attack.

Fear weapons have been used forever, they are called spreading rumors or false information that keeps your enemy at bay. The Russians did it to the United states for nearly 50 years in the cold war. They made it look and sound like they had a crapload more weapons and bigger meaner ones than they really did. It scared the shit out of the USA to the point where we even had the populace shaking in their boots and afraid of the USSR.

Re:What could happen

[RDW (41497)]

'I am not a biologist, so I'll just ask; "Is it reasonable to assume that there even is a fear scent in humans?". Is there any evidence of it's exsitence in closely related species?'

Well, with that kind of defeatist reality-based reasoning, how can we ever hope to complete the development of the Gay Bomb?:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_bomb [wikipedia.org]

Re:What could happen

[pushing-robot (1037830)]

Franklin Relano Doosevelt?

women

[EZReady (677430)]

female pheromones would work for most slashdotters

Re:women

[HTH NE1 (675604)]

You can get 2-siders for nearly a dime a dozen.

The Pentagon

[Smordnys s'regrepsA (1160895)]

Turning your "War on Terror" into the "War of Terror," since 2008.

Irony

[traindirector (1001483)]

You'd almost think that after declaring a war on terror an organization wouldn't use terror against enemies in the most literal way possible...

Re:Irony

[drooling-dog (189103)]

Who said this is to be used on "our" enemies?

It'll be used on ourselves, to make us more eager to accept the enemies that are provided for us, and more desperate for protection from them.

Re:That quote about fear

[JonWan (456212)]

"We have nothing to fear except Fear Itself®"

and spiders

Amongst our weapons

[gardyloo (512791)]

Our *three* weapons are fear, surprise, and pheromones...and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope.... Our *four*...no... *Amongst* our weapons.... Amongst our weaponry...are such elements as fear, surprise....

The tinfoil hat was comfortable

[barakn (641218)]

...but now a gas mask?

Re:The tinfoil hat was comfortable

[ppz003 (797487)]

...but now a gas mask?

Because you are afraid of fear gas...

Bio warfare?

[Fluffy_Kitten (911430)]

Does that not count as biological warfare?

Re:Bio warfare?

[whopub (1100981)]

Does that not count as biological warfare?

Who cares! The whole plan stinks.

Re:Bio warfare?

[Conspiracy_Of_Doves (236787)]

No, since the pheromones are not alive.

It does count as chemical warfare, though.

terra!

[Lord Ender (156273)]

The pheromone could lead to smell-based terrorist sensors, and new weapons that rely on 'contagious' stress."

Awesome. Now people who are afraid of flying will have the added benefit of getting cavity-searched as a result of their fear.

Too unreliable

[Z00L00K (682162)]

You must consider that there has to be many reasons for people to send out stress pheromones, late for work, fear of flying, claustrophobia etc.

And there is no reason that a suicide bomber actually is afraid - that phase may have passed over months ago and the person may have actually come to terms with his/her destiny.

So someone is barking up the wrong tree again...

Fear Eh?

[mixmatch (957776)]

You mean a squad of guys busting into your house with sub-machine guns doesn't cause this effect?

Re:Fear Eh?

[sm62704 (957197)]

They rated you funny, and it was, but you should have been rated insightful. I just recounted an episode last summer [slashdot.org] in the next to latest journal about how I, a hazel eyed gray haired geezer had my civil rights violated by the local police, FBI and DEA.

As I was talking to the FBI gay, er "guy" before he searched me (putting his hands on my balls, why can't they have female cops search men? UGH!), he asked why I seemed so nervous. I went from nervous to incredible, thinking "WTF is this dumbass smoking?"

"WHAT?? Because half a dozen big armed men just accosted me!" I replied. I didn't add "You stupid fucking authoritarian dumbass cocksucker!" as I would have liked to.

Actually I wasn't scared at all, but I was mad as hell. What I was afraid of was that they'd piss me off enough that I'd do something stupid. Like slap one of them upside the head with a hooker.

Dumb fucking cops. Nothing in my life has made me less respectful of police officers. They're called the D.I.R.T. team and the name fits the dirty bastards, all of whom IMO belong in a prison or somewhere worse.

Now I understand why all the rap songs are so disrespectful of the police. I mean, I'm a white old guy, imagine being a black young guy.

Fear is not always a bad thing...

[LiquidMind (150126)]

A weapon that exploits fear 'scents' could backfire just as easily. Traditionally, fear will cause someone to flee or at the very least become nervous and therefore have his/her decision-making skills crippled. But for some, fear is a great motivator. If i'm gonna get into a fight and feel extra fearful because of this exploit, i might come back twice as hard to overcome whatever is in my way.

just a thought....

Oblig. Simpsons

[TheSpoom (715771)]

Marge: What happened? You didn't do anything!

Dr. Hibbert: Oh, didn't I? [laughs] Nothing dissolves glue better than human sweat. I knew Bart would panic and start perspiring at the sight of this button applicator!

Bart: Couldn't you have just turned the heat up a little?

Dr. Hibbert: [sinister] Oh, heavens no! It had to be terror sweat!

Why Fear?

[TheLazySci-FiAuthor (1089561)]

Why don't they make a "love" weapon instead.

After all, I thought the US was supposed to have a reputation for turning enemies into friends.

Re:Why Fear?

[antime (739998)]

Why don't they make a "love" weapon instead.

Already tried [wikipedia.org], didn't work out too good.