Terrorism has become a real money maker for some companies, and it looks to be a catalyst for lucky tech companies in England who were recently encouraged by the British Government to create James Bond-like anti-terror gadgets to aid them in preventing further violent acts. A recent British Government publication titled: “Countering the Terrorist Threat, Ideas and Innovation, How Industry and academia can play their part” invites everyone to the party, and I commend their government for reaching out and engaging the private sector and academia in such a manner. I think it should be done more often, for things like the environment and education too. But some argue that these new technologies the UK and American defense strategies are calling for are moving us closer and closer to a very Orwellian future. Here are a few examples of my personal favorites, highlited by references to popular sci-fi movies that I feel can help illustrate their features.

The Medusa Microwave Crowd Control Raygun brought to you by the people at Sierra Nevada Corp. This cannon like ray gun will send a focused wave of energy that creates a “painful screaming sound” inside a person’s head. Like Star Trek phasers it can be set to mildly irritate, nasueat or fully F-you right up.

The cousin to the Medusa is Raytheon’s Active Denial System. Rather than get inside your brain like a scene from Scanners this little puppy makes you think that you are being burned alive when in fact you aren’t. Like that scene in Dune where Kyle McLaughlin puts his hand in the box. Your skin isn’t actually burning, but a 95 GHz-millimeter-wave directed at you from a small cannon is convincing your pain receptors that you are in fact on fire. Remember, fear is the mind killer. Next time you stand too close to a seal clubbing protest and you start to get really hot you’ll now know what’s going on.

DARPA’s Human Assisted Neural Devices Program. Previously known as The Brain-Machine Interfaces Program. Look Luitenant, no hands! This program explores the possibilities of missiles, unmanned drones or other kinds of weaponry being controlled directly from a soldiers mind. Much like say…The Beastmaster and his animals. This program is a veritable ministrone of legally dubious and morally questionable ideas- and it’s utterly fascinating. Stephen E White of Cornell University frames the issues around the program eloquently in the Cornell International Law Journal. His Brave New World:Neurowarfare and the Limits of International Humanitarian Law, is an eye popper of a read. I advise against perusing it first thing in the morning or just before bed though as it will affect your mood or sleep.

A recent article in National Defense Magazine quite frankly suggests that DARPA, after 50 years of innovation leading to such things as oh The Internet for example, needs to reasses how and what it researches and creates. This new wave of Anti-terror technology is all overhwelmingly based on urban scenarios, or at least scenarios involving crowds and civilians. Warfare has changed from trenches, deserts and jungles and now to city streets. Population trends show a continued human migration from rural to urban environments and particualarly in developing and undeveloped countries, where we can expect continued political and social conflict. Technologies like the ones listed above are positioned well in the new economics of warfare to find suitable buyers around the globe. Terrorism may be the inspiration for this rush of weapons and surveillance technology, but it’s inevitable in my opinion that several uses, including non-military uses, will be found for them.

My question is who’s developing technology to protect us from the Giant Asteroids that are careening towards us right now?

Well…I’m going to put on my aluminium foil helmet now and kick back with a relaxing G&T and ponder all of this further.