- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- 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.
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- http://www.indiadaily.com/editorial/1732.asp
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