HON 301 Welcome to the Anthropocene The Future of War F. Walter November 2020 War Humans beings are natural predators • War seems a natural state of humanity • Are humans naturally tribal? • It is a means of expanding territory – Ants and chimpanzees do this too – Mongooses go to war to expand breeding stock: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/warmongering-female- mongooses-lead-their-groups-battle-mate-enemy-180976265/ Costs of War • Human costs • Squandered resources • Economic costs – Unconsumed goods – Reconstruction costs Benefits of War War spurs innovation • Airplanes and Drones • Rocket technology • Computers • Medicine • Communications It’s a matter of survival! Innovations • Strength augmentation/exoskeletons – Medical uses • Drone technology – Economic spinoffs • Missile technology – Economic/scientific spinoffs • Remote sensing technology – Economic/scientific spinoffs Unintended Consequences • Reconstruction Threats • ICBM / SLBM threat requires near- instantaneous response • Warning systems are imperfect • Weapons systems are imperfect • Combat is “over the horizon” against an invisible enemy • Mistakes are fatal Biological Warfare • If you can create a serum, you can probably synthesize the toxin • Ability to manipulate genes has a dark side • Smallpox and Anthrax can be weaponized Radiological Warfare • Neutron Bomb – Neutrons penetrate armor • Dirty Bombs Other Threats Microwaves • Used recently by China against India • Considered for use in Afghanistan Infrasound/Ultrasound • What is affecting US attaché personnel in Havana? Cyber Warfare • The internet is insecure • The Internet of Things is vulnerable – Power plants – Transportation systems – Banks • State supported cyber attacks: – Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran Terrorism Abetted by: • Large, concentrated populations • Availability of weapons of mass destruction • Conspiracy theories There are tradeoffs between liberty and security.