Coming Military Uses Of Nanotechnology
Staff Reporter - India Daily - 28 February 2005
(More Alien Technology....)
Scientists at the Indian Institute of Science as well as defense
research organizatrions are working on understanding the impacts
of Nano-technologies in military application in coming years. While
Nano-technologies can provide enormous benefits, it can also be
used by the militaries of the world in creating weapons of mass
destruction that we cannot even imagine with a conventional mind
set.
Nanotechnology is the generic name given to the production or use
of very small, or "nano" particles. These are particles
that are less than 100 nanometers or about one-thousandth the width
of a human hair. A nanometer is 1 billionth of a meter.
Nanotechnology is likely to be extremely important in the future
as it allows materials to be built up atom by atom. This can lead
to the development of new materials that are better suited for their
purpose. There are several branches of nanotechnology, but most
of them are in an early stage with the only nanotechnologies that
are commercially available at present being ultra fine powders and
coatings. These are used in a variety of products including sunscreens
and self-cleaning glass, but the list of materials being developed
commercially using nanotechnology is likely to grow at a very fast
rate.
Other forms of nanotechnology being developed include tiny sensors
called nano-units, of which some simple types are available: "smart
materials" that change in response to light or heat; "nano-bots"
- tiny mobile robots that have yet to be developed but are theoretically
possible; and self-assembling nano-materials that can be assembled
into larger equipment.
Military use of Nano-technologies in immediate use can be classified
in three main ways. Militaries of many countries have established
weapons with Nano-techs.
First, nano-materials massively damage the lungs. Ultra fine particles
from diesel machines, power plants and incinerators can cause considerable
damage to human lungs. This is both because of their size (as they
can get deep into the lungs) and also because they carry other chemicals
including metals and hydrocarbons in with them.
Second, nano-particles can get into the body through the skin, lungs
and digestive system. This may help create free radicals that can
cause cell damage. There is also concern that once nano-particles
are in the bloodstream, they will be able to cross the blood-brain
barrier.
Third, the human body has developed a tolerance to most naturally
occurring elements and molecules that it has contact with. It has
no natural immunity to new substances and is more likely to find
them toxic.
Fourth, the most dangerous Nano-application use for military purposes
is the Nano-bomb that contain engineered self multiplying deadly
viruses that can continue to wipe out a community, country or even
a civilization.
Militaries all around the world is about to embark upon the use
of Nano-materials, Nano-bots and Nano-technologies that will make
current Weapons of mass Destruction look miniscule.
Armies of enormous strengths can be wiped out slowly without even
fighting a single battle. The soldiers may never know that they
have been nano-poisoned.
http://www.indiadaily.com/editorial/1732.asp
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