Mind-Altering 'Brain Weapons' No Longer Only Science Fiction, Say Researchers (theguardian.com) 35
Researchers warn that rapid advances in neuroscience, pharmacology, and AI are bringing "brain weapons" out of science fiction and into real-world plausibility. They argue current arms treaties don't adequately cover these emerging tools and call for a new, proactive framework to prevent the weaponization of the human mind. The Guardian reports: Michael Crowley and Malcolm Dando, of Bradford University, are about to publish a book that they believe should be a wake-up call to the world. [...] The book, published by the Royal Society of Chemistry, explores how advances in neuroscience, pharmacology and artificial intelligence are coming together to create a new threat. "We are entering an era where the brain itself could become a battlefield," said Crowley. "The tools to manipulate the central nervous system -- to sedate, confuse or even coerce -- are becoming more precise, more accessible and more attractive to states."
The book traces the fascinating, if appalling, history of state-sponsored research into central nervous system (CNS)-acting chemicals. [...] The academics argue that the ability exists to create much more "sophisticated and targeted" weapons that would once have been unimaginable. Dando said: "The same knowledge that helps us treat neurological disorders could be used to disrupt cognition, induce compliance, or even in the future turn people into unwitting agents." The threat is "real and growing" but there are gaps in international arms control treaties preventing it from being tackled effectively, they say. [...]
The book makes the case for a new "holistic arms control" framework, rather than relying on existing arms control treaties. It sets out a number of practical steps that could be taken, including establishing a working group on CNS-acting and broader incapacitating agents. Other proposals concern training, monitoring and definitions. "We need to move from reactive to proactive governance," said Dando. Both men acknowledge that we are learning more about the brain and the central nervous system, which is good for humanity. They said they were not trying to stifle scientific progress and it was about preventing malign intent. Crowley said: "This is a wake-up call. We must act now to protect the integrity of science and the sanctity of the human mind."
The book traces the fascinating, if appalling, history of state-sponsored research into central nervous system (CNS)-acting chemicals. [...] The academics argue that the ability exists to create much more "sophisticated and targeted" weapons that would once have been unimaginable. Dando said: "The same knowledge that helps us treat neurological disorders could be used to disrupt cognition, induce compliance, or even in the future turn people into unwitting agents." The threat is "real and growing" but there are gaps in international arms control treaties preventing it from being tackled effectively, they say. [...]
The book makes the case for a new "holistic arms control" framework, rather than relying on existing arms control treaties. It sets out a number of practical steps that could be taken, including establishing a working group on CNS-acting and broader incapacitating agents. Other proposals concern training, monitoring and definitions. "We need to move from reactive to proactive governance," said Dando. Both men acknowledge that we are learning more about the brain and the central nervous system, which is good for humanity. They said they were not trying to stifle scientific progress and it was about preventing malign intent. Crowley said: "This is a wake-up call. We must act now to protect the integrity of science and the sanctity of the human mind."
So this explains trump's behavior (Score:3, Funny)
Meanwhile, back in 1959 (Score:3)
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By all the gods . . .
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
Already here, massive use of large hormone doses (Score:2)
About 14% of women use hormonal birth control pills https://usafacts.org/articles/... [usafacts.org]
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Umm . . . what?
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I liked this part: "...work proceeded in 1964 when a general envisioned a scheme to incapacitate an entire trawler with aerosolized BZ; this effort was dubbed Project DORK.[17]"
Chemical warfare bad (Score:2)
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You sound as if you think that laws are clear. I think that's why they wrote: "Other proposals concern training, monitoring and definitions."
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I suddenly want to do whatever (Score:1)
CowboyNeal wants me to do.
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Who or what will be the "Master Race"? (Score:3, Funny)
>A "Master Race" thing is being set up in the young
Will it be humans? Computers/AI? Aliens? Dolphins?
I'm hoping it will be us humans, but I hear the smart money is on the dolphins. At least they will be smart enough to leave this blue marble.
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Labubus, obviously.
Re:Brain-altering? (Score:4, Insightful)
Lost somewhere among all the political talking points the OP has a very good point here. The usual fantasy/fear/sci-fi trope is turning a human being into a walking automaton, entirely taking away his free will and making him mindlessly obey all commands of the controller. This is what MKULTRA was trying to achieve, among others. But if you're willing to be more patient and subtle, techniques for controlling human behaviour existed for centuries and worked extremely well.
Brainwashing, propaganda, using mob mentality, pushing various psychological buttons, playing on fears and desires. Works better if you start from a young age. You don't have to subvert a person's free will with chemicals or tech or whatever, when you can brainwash them into believing that the thing you want them to do is what the person him/herself wants to do. People have an incredible capacity for rationalizing almost anything, no matter how insane. From a certain point you don't have to do anything anymore, people will self-brainwash from here on, and help you brainwash others. This is what we should be worried about, not some hypothetical sci-fi technology.
As for these 'researchers' and being able to directly alter human cognition, it's complete nonsense. We know next to nothing about how human thinking process works, so how can we change it directly? All we can do is super clumsy attempts like MKULTRA and similar research, and all those have achieved is messed with the heads of the test subjects without achieving any kind of control. Which, if you have no idea what you're doing, is the only possible outcome.
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It isn’t just Mormons. Jewish people do something similar with their youth with bar and bat mitzvahs. And Catholics with first communion. Organized religion has mental manipulation down yo a science.
It is also why the wealthy Mormons are given roles of leaders within their congregations so they get in deep and ke
Sorry, should have proofread. (Score:2)
“down [to] a science.”
Sorry, should have proofread.
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You might want to consider learning something about the subject you're going to rant about before going off half-cocked to avoid shoving both of your feet down your throat. Those two ceremonies are simply symbolic coming of age rituals without any secret sections, and you can find out everything you need about them by asking your Jewish friends, presuming, of course, that you have any.
Re: TDS (Score:2)
G-23 Paxilon Hydrochlorate (Score:4, Funny)
Do you want Reavers? Because this is how you get Reavers...
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>Do you want Reavers?
You do realize some villiage's idiot out there is saying "Yes, please."
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Unfortunately a certain percentage of those 'village idiots' are from families rich and powerful enough to fund that sort of research. This is the same issue with bio-weapons, which no longer require the resources of a large government to create. What formerly required bleeding edge labs and billions of dollars can now be done by some grad students using surplessed equipment bought on eBay. Eventually some PETA trust fund brat will decide Earth would be better off with several billion fewer human beings
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River Tam popped into my head too. "I can kill you with my brain."
These have been around for a long time (Score:1, Troll)
They are called "religion", "propaganda", "fairy tales", etc.. and they are always used to control people. The only thing that is different now is that we can automatize it. The ones that were not impressed before will continue to be not impressed.
But with about 85% of the human race being religious, there is a rich target field for manipulation. Incidentally, this corresponds nicely with about 15% of the human race being able to fact-check.
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Religion encourages people to be better. Fairy tales educate and discourage dangerous behavior. Propaganda is often used as a malicious control mechanism, but it's also, "Give a hoot, don't pollut
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No, this is NOT "worthless". That claim can only be made by a complete asshole that wants his manipulation tools to continue to work. And "warning me"? Who the fuck do you think you are?
As an explanation for those not deeply evil: Religion and propaganda are _primarily_ "mental weapons" and serve no other purpose. You cannot "encourage people to be better" by telling them to not use their mental facilities. The only thing you can do that way is get control, tell them what to think and do and that is exactly
Drug him (Score:2)
We have mind altering weapons since millennia. Give your captive drugs until they start talking.
Sanctity? (Score:2)
The human mind evolved to be evil and degenerate by nature. That's why so much of humanity are murderous savages today and the rest are just in remission.
The human mind is the root of all evil. To prevent evil requires psychological manipulation to modify behavior.
How that gets done is academic.