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    Date sent:        Fri, 10 May 1996 17:52:55 -0700 (PDT)
    To:               MindNet@c2.org
    From:             vericomm@c2.org
    Subject:          MindNet Journal - Vol. 1, No. 73

        V E R I C O M M / MindNet         "Quid veritas est?"

    Sender: Owner-MindNet@c2.org
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    The views and opinions expressed below are not necessarily the
    views and opinions of VERICOMM, MindNet, or the editors unless
    otherwise noted.

    Permission is given to reproduce and redistribute, for
    non-commercial purposes only, provided this information and the
    copy remain intact and unedited.

    Editor: Mike Coyle

    Assistant Editor: Rick Lawler

    Research: Darrell Bross

    PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES APPLICABLE TO DEVELOPMENT OF
    LESS-THAN-LETHAL WEAPONS

    Oak Ridge National Laboratory

    Physiological Responses Applicable to Development of
    Less-Than-Lethal Weapons

    Sponsored by National Institute of Justice

    Oak Ridge National Laboratory

    Less-than-lethal weapons have a variety of applications in law
    enforcement, including rescuing hostages, stopping fleeing
    felons, and quelling prison disturbances. The National Institute
    of Justice is sponsoring a broad program to develop new
    techniques for "friendly force" as an alternative to the use of
    deadly force. As part of this program, Oak Ridge National
    Laboratory (ORNL) is examining approaches based on known
    physiological responses to certain types of stimuli. These
    "weapons" would temporarily incapacitate an individual or a
    group with no lasting physiological damage. These concepts are
    based on ORNL's experience and expertise in biological-based
    systems and biophysical responses, particularly in evaluating
    the physical responses of humans to a variety of chemical,
    physical and radiological agents. ORNL also has extensive
    experience and expertise in risk analysis and in risk assessment
    and modeling.

    The ORNL less than-lethal weapons project sponsored by the
    National Institute of Justice began in September 1993. The
    following tasks are being performed:

    *   Locate and compile data from tests, accidents, medical
        literature, etc. on biological and biophysical responses
        to energetic stimuli (such as electromagnetic fields).
    *   Analyze the information and identify promising candidate
        mechanisms for further development for a friendly force
    *   Evaluate the applicability of the proposed approaches to
        several realistic scenarios (such as hostage rescue or riot
        control).

    ORNL has already examined several possible concepts for
    less-than-lethal weapons based on known physiological responses
    to energetic stimuli, including a thermal gun, a seizure gun,
    and a magnetophosphene gun. A thermal gun would have the
    operational effect of heating the body to 105 to 107F, thereby
    incapacitating any threat, based on the fact that even a slight
    fever can affect the ability of a person to perform even simple
    tasks. This approach is built on four decades of research
    relating radio frequency exposure to body heating. A seizure gun
    would use electromagnetic energy to induce epileptic-like
    seizures in persons within the range of a particular
    electromagnetic field. The magnetophosphene gun is designed
    around a biophysical mechanism which evokes a visual response
    and is thought to be centered in the retina, known as
    magnetophosphenes. This effect is experienced when a person
    receives a blow to the head and sees "stars". This same effect
    can be produced with electromagnetic energy. While there are a
    number of technical challenges to be overcome in building
    devices of these types, less-than-lethal weapons based on
    physiological responses to energetic stimuli would provide a
    safe and effective means of dealing with a number of law
    enforcement situations where use of deadly force is not
    desirable.

    For further information contact:

    Ray Downs, National Institute of Justice (202) 616-3509 Susan
    Sherrow, Oak Ridge Special Projects Office (615) 576-8024

    Oak Ridge National Laboratory is a U.S. Department of Energy
    Laboratory Managed by Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc.

    ................................................................
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    Submission of articles for publication within the MindNet
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    Los Angeles Herald Examiner, Section A, November 22, 1976

    Mind-Altering Microwaves:  Soviets Studying Invisible Ray

    A newly declassified U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency report
    says extensive Soviet research into microwaves might lead to
    methods of causing disoriented human behavior, nerve disorders,
    and even heart attacks.

    ...

    A copy of the study was provided by the agency to the Associated
    Press in response to a request under the Freedom of Information
    Act.

    ...

    Sounds and possibly even words which appear to be originating
    intercranially (within the head) can be induced by signal
    modulation at very low average power densities, the study said.

    ...

    One physiological effect which has been demonstrated is heart
    seizure, the report said.

    It said this has been accomplished experimentally in frogs
    by synchronizing the pulses of a microwave signal with the
    animal's heartbeat and beaming the radiation at the chest
    area.

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    Microwave News, January-February 1987

    ZAP!

    Six hundred scientists and engineers with security clearances
    spend the first week of December at Kirtland Air Force Base in
    New Mexico examining the potential of high-power microwaves to
    zap enemy electronics...

    ... Many branches of the Department of Defense were represented,
    including the Air Force, the Army and the Navy, together with
    DARPA, DIA, and DNA.  The Lawrence Livermore Labs were also
    well represented, as were most of the big defense contractors -
    General Dynamics, Physics International and TRW each have a
    high-power microwave testing facility.

    In addition to these sources, susceptibility and hardening,
    there was one on biological effects:  Dr. David Erwin and
    Major Robert Downs represented the Air Force and Howard Bassen
    and Dr. John D'Andrea described the Army and Navy programs,
    respectively.  Dr. Frank Barnes of the University of Colorado
    in Boulder presented a poster paper on his and Dr. Howard
    Wachtel's research on the effects of pulsed microwaves.

    Chuck de Caro, a former correspondent for the Cable News Network,
    considers the possibility that the U.S. is falling behind the
    U.S.S.R. in microwave weapons in "The Zap Gap", to be published
    in the March issue of "The Atlantic" (see also MWN November-
    December 1986).

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    Microwave News, January-February 1996

    RF WEAPONS - Disabling People and Electronics

    The military continues to explore development of RF weapons
    for the conflicts of the future.  For instance, the "First
    Directed Energy Warfare (DEW) Conference", held last year
    at the Mitre Corp. in McLean VA, featured Dr. David Erwin
    of the Armstrong Lab at Brooks AFB, San Antonio, TX, on
    "Directed Energy Warfare RF Effects", and D.r Jose Pina of
    the CIA on "Ground Combat Applications of RF".  Other topics
    included "Personnel Vulnerability" and Directed Energy
    Warfare Biological Effects".

    The June meeting was organized by the Association of Old
    Crows, whose members are specialists in electronic warfare.
    Conference participants had to have security clearances of
    "Secret" or higher, as has been the case at similar meetings
    in the past (See MWN, J-F 87 and N-D 93).

    Public discussions of RF/MW weapons have focussed on dis-
    rupting technology.  But a recent Article in the Airpower
    Journal revealed "for the first time that the military is
    developing high-powered microwave weapons for use against
    human beings", reports Peter Cassidy in the January 1996
    "Progressive" (see p. 14).

    RF/MW and EMF-based weapons are also being studied for
    civilian law enforcement.  Oak Ridge National Laboratory
    (ORNL) in Oak Ridge TN will soon complete a literature
    review for the National Insitute of Justice on the
    feasibility of "thermal guns" which could heat the body to
    105 to 107 degrees F and incapacitate the target; "seizure
    guns" which would use EM energy to induce epileptic-like
    seizures; and "magnetophosphene guns" which would cause
    the target to "see stars".

    The institute's Ray Downs in Washington cautioned that the
    report may not be made public.  ORNL's Dr. Clay Easterly
    has said that some effects not associated with heating
    could be useful in developing nonlethal weapons.
    (See MWN, N-D 93.)

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    Microwave News, September-October 1996, page 19

    Stop That Car or We'll Zap You

    They're the sexiest gadgets in this year's action movies:
    EMP weapons, which use electromagnetic pulses to zap
    electronics.  They have starring roles in Goldeneye, the
    latest James Bond movie, as well as in Broken Arrow, Escape
    From LA, and Eraser.  And soon they may be coming to a
    police car near you.

    Law Enforcement News (September 30) reports that the U.S.
    Army and the National Institute of Justice are running a
    $500,000 field test to see if EMP guns can force a car to
    stop by disabling its electrical systems.  The plan is to
    use EMP to do away with high speed chases (another Hollywood
    staple).  This is another example of the growing interest in
    using nonlethal weapons developed by the military.

    ...

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