“NEURINT” and Neuroweapons - Neurotechnology in National Security and Defense - page 79

7 “NEURINT” and

Neuroweapons
Neurotechnologies
in National Intelligence
and Defense *

Rachel Wurzman and James Giordano

CONTENTS
Introduction .............................................................................................................. 79
What is a Neuroweapon? ......................................................................................... 80
Contending against Potential Enemies: Neurotechnology within Information
Infrastructures and Intelligence Strategy ................................................................. 82
Neurotechnological Applications for Strategic Intelligence .................................... 91
Neurint: Neural Intelligence as a Novel Collection Discipline and
Analysis Tool ....................................................................................................... 93
Neuroweapons in Combat Scenarios ....................................................................... 96
Neurotropic Drugs ................................................................................................... 96
Neuromicrobiological Agents ................................................................................ 103
Neurotoxins ............................................................................................................ 103
Practical Considerations, Limitations, and Preparations ....................................... 107
Acknowledgments .................................................................................................. 109
References .............................................................................................................. 109
Online Resources .............................................................................................. 112

INTRODUCTION
Advances in neuroscience have progressed rapidly over the past two decades. The field
has become increasingly interdisciplinary and has been a nexus for the development and
use of a wide range of technological innovations (i.e., neurotechnology). While usually
considered in medical contexts, many neurotechnologies may also be viably engaged as
weapons. Such “neuroweapons” are obviously of great interest in and to national security,
intelligence and defense (NSID) endeavors, given both the substantial threat that these

* This chapter is an expanded and updated version of Giordano and Wurzman (2011), adapted with
permission from Synesis: A Journal of Science, Technology, Ethics, and Policy 2(1):T55 -T 71.

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