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Pentagon Working on "Human Fear" Weapons

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the smells-like-... dept.

An anonymous reader writes "Animals use pheromones to attract each other for sex, and warn each other of danger. Now, Wired reports, military researchers are working to harness the 'human fear' pheromone to create a scent of terror. The pheromone could lead to smell-based terrorist sensors, and new weapons that rely on 'contagious' stress."

2 of 310 comments (clear)

  1. Too unreliable by Z00L00K · · Score: 5, Interesting
    You must consider that there has to be many reasons for people to send out stress pheromones, late for work, fear of flying, claustrophobia etc.

    And there is no reason that a suicide bomber actually is afraid - that phase may have passed over months ago and the person may have actually come to terms with his/her destiny.

    So someone is barking up the wrong tree again...

    --
    If builders built buildings the way programmers wrote programs, then the first woodpecker would destroy civilization.
  2. Fear is not always a bad thing... by LiquidMind · · Score: 5, Interesting

    A weapon that exploits fear 'scents' could backfire just as easily. Traditionally, fear will cause someone to flee or at the very least become nervous and therefore have his/her decision-making skills crippled. But for some, fear is a great motivator. If i'm gonna get into a fight and feel extra fearful because of this exploit, i might come back twice as hard to overcome whatever is in my way.

    just a thought....

    --
    This sig contains repetition and redundancy.