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8 Modern Weapons: Possibilities and Limitations
boxers, one of whom suddenly goes blind (loses consciousness). The outcome of
such a fight is obvious.
In previous chapters, we presented a detailed overview of the concepts of organization, methods of application of the brand-new type of weapons, the information
technology weapons, and their technological base (platform)—viruses, software and
hardware Trojans, and spyware.
In the process of working on the materials of this book, we came to a firm conclusion that the phenomenon of software and hardware Trojans is nothing but a new
phase of evolution of modern weapons.
In order to persuade the readers as well, we will present below the materials
demonstrating how the authors came to this unexpected conclusion.
For this purpose, we are going to consider technical capabilities and the existing
principal limitations of the most well-known types of weapons of mass destruction,
from chemical weapons and combat chemical agents to space, climatic, seismic,
microwave, and neural weapons. We are going to start this analysis with a short
retrospective journey into the history of evolution of the simplest weapon—a simple
knife.
The evolution of the knife over the entire foreseeable period of human evolution
will demonstrate how the development of this weapon stimulated the development of
new technologies and materials (metallurgy, processing of materials, technological
equipment, development of design thought, etc.).
8.1.2 Evolution of a Knife
Development of the human civilization is inseparable from development of weapons.
It is difficult to find a weapon as close to humans as a knife. For a long time, it was
a sign of a free man. Only slaves had no knives. Stone, bronze, iron, steel, alloy,
plastic, and ceramic knives have accompanied the humanity since Neolithic times,
faithfully serving as improvised tools and weapons of the last chance.
At first, there was no division of knives according to their purpose. The first stone
knives were equally inconvenient for pricking and cutting; however, nothing better
existed at that fact. However, the understanding of the fundamental fact that it is
very difficult to use the same knife to put a wounded animal down, dress and skin
it, inevitably got the human brain working to create different types of knives best
suited for solving certain specific tasks. This, in turn, caused the purposeful search
for materials, forms and proportions, which in fact caused rapid progress of the
metallurgy technology.
At first, this type of melee weapon was divided into two subtypes: cutting (or
chopping) knives and pricking daggers.
The classification turned out to be very approximate, since the variety of shapes
and purposes immediately lead to emergence of intermediate weapons, pointed and
bladed at the same time. Theoretically, any knife could prick, and any dagger could
8 Modern Weapons: Possibilities and Limitations
boxers, one of whom suddenly goes blind (loses consciousness). The outcome of
such a fight is obvious.
In previous chapters, we presented a detailed overview of the concepts of organization, methods of application of the brand-new type of weapons, the information
technology weapons, and their technological base (platform)—viruses, software and
hardware Trojans, and spyware.
In the process of working on the materials of this book, we came to a firm conclusion that the phenomenon of software and hardware Trojans is nothing but a new
phase of evolution of modern weapons.
In order to persuade the readers as well, we will present below the materials
demonstrating how the authors came to this unexpected conclusion.
For this purpose, we are going to consider technical capabilities and the existing
principal limitations of the most well-known types of weapons of mass destruction,
from chemical weapons and combat chemical agents to space, climatic, seismic,
microwave, and neural weapons. We are going to start this analysis with a short
retrospective journey into the history of evolution of the simplest weapon—a simple
knife.
The evolution of the knife over the entire foreseeable period of human evolution
will demonstrate how the development of this weapon stimulated the development of
new technologies and materials (metallurgy, processing of materials, technological
equipment, development of design thought, etc.).
8.1.2 Evolution of a Knife
Development of the human civilization is inseparable from development of weapons.
It is difficult to find a weapon as close to humans as a knife. For a long time, it was
a sign of a free man. Only slaves had no knives. Stone, bronze, iron, steel, alloy,
plastic, and ceramic knives have accompanied the humanity since Neolithic times,
faithfully serving as improvised tools and weapons of the last chance.
At first, there was no division of knives according to their purpose. The first stone
knives were equally inconvenient for pricking and cutting; however, nothing better
existed at that fact. However, the understanding of the fundamental fact that it is
very difficult to use the same knife to put a wounded animal down, dress and skin
it, inevitably got the human brain working to create different types of knives best
suited for solving certain specific tasks. This, in turn, caused the purposeful search
for materials, forms and proportions, which in fact caused rapid progress of the
metallurgy technology.
At first, this type of melee weapon was divided into two subtypes: cutting (or
chopping) knives and pricking daggers.
The classification turned out to be very approximate, since the variety of shapes
and purposes immediately lead to emergence of intermediate weapons, pointed and
bladed at the same time. Theoretically, any knife could prick, and any dagger could