“Wars Are Becoming More Like Computer Games”

By Akela Talamasca on May 20th, 2009

powered_exo This recent article from New Scientist reveals some current thinking on the state of modern warfare. Neuroscience, the study of the nervous system, bears many promising potential technologies for use in monitoring the health of battlefield soldiers.

For instance, consider a scenario in which a combatant undergoing severe stress during a mission could have his brain chemistry stimulated to increase his level of serotonin, which would help elevate feelings of calm.

Also, the use of sophisticated, networked units would enable better teamwork by providing commanding officers with always-on assessment of factors like fatigue and morale, leading to a more effective use of fighters in the field.

The University of Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute neuroscientist Anders Sandberg says “The battlefield is changing quite a lot right now. Wars are becoming more like computer games, which means that in the future having the genes that make you a good physical fighter might not be so important as having excellent hand-eye coordination.”

The article also references ideas of using genetic tests for specific markers to determine which soldiers might be best suited for specific roles, a practice that has possible legal ramifications. If a soldier is passed over for a position he wants, for example, he might try to sue for discrimination. While possibilities like these are still only theoretical, “They need to be explored because at some point someone’s going to do them,” says Paul Zak of Claremont Graduate University in California. He’s probably right; science has a history of doing things because they can, with consideration of whether or not they should only coming in second. Here’s hoping that the military hires ethicists as well.