The U. S. Army Future Concept for the Human Dimension

Chapter 8

Science, Technology, and the Human Dimension

8-1. Introduction

S&T plays an important role within the human dimension in the future. Science will continue to investigate the physical, cognitive and, to some extent, the moral components of the human dimension. As the Army applies science toward developing advanced technologies, it will be able to more accurately target its recruiting effort, more effectively train and educate Soldiers, enhance physical and cognitive performance and augment human capabilities with advanced technology tools. S&T developments will help the Soldier to not only succeed in combat, but also to cope with the stress that combat produces, recover from the physical and mental effects of a hostile OE, and facilitate the Soldier’s reintegration into American society.

Demands of modern warfare-While modern warfare has not hesitated to impress almost every known science into its service for the purpose of overcoming man, the trained man has up to the present time demonstrated his ability to hold his own against the most terrible odds successfully; and in the end it will be discovered that it is the man, the carefully trained and conditioned man, who alone can make victory possible.
- War Department Special Regulation, 23. Field Physical Training of the Soldier. War Department, May 10, 1917
Human needs and requirements define the goals and objectives of Army S&T efforts. Taking advantage of unexpected or breakthrough technologies as they emerge provides the Army with the best possible means to accomplish its mission. While human imagination is unlimited, physical capabilities and the S&T available to augment or enhance those capabilities present challenges to achieving human dreams. Many factors drive the S&T effort and S&T advancements impact on the characteristics and capabilities of the human dimension. For example, joint and Army concepts envision new ways for the military to operate in future warfare that may exceed current technological capabilities. People have always taken advantage of S&T advancements to enhance warfighting capabilities.
The continual evolution of the OE influences both S&T and the human dimension. Though predicting specific S&T capabilities ten to twenty years in the future is difficult, it is safe to say that capabilities developed to improve the human condition will find military applications and vice versa. This chapter discusses emerging S&T trends, the integration of S&T into the human dimension at both the individual and societal levels, and the impact of this integration on the human dimension.
Army leaders must be conversant with new technologies and comfortable in their integration into all aspects of the Army mission, training and operations, support and services, and personnel and equipment. Keeping pace with S&T developments is a professional responsibility and an institutional imperative.
Technological savvy is a desirable attribute for future recruiting and a necessary skill when training, developing, and evaluating the leadership of the future Modular Force. The Army must be willing and able to embrace emerging technologies to provide a tactical or operational edge, and accept the risk that some technologies may not work as expected. Future recruits will have grown up in a different world from their Army leadership. They will be comfortable with technology, adapt quickly, and be eager to try the latest innovations. Adapting to the skills and motivations of the Nation’s youth while retaining the core values that define the American Soldier and the U.S. Army will pay great dividends.

8-2. Science and Technology (S&T) Trends

Today’s emerging technologies fall roughly into four major categories: biological systems, machines and computers, information, knowledge, communications, and energy. Integration of multidisciplinary technologies (smart materials, agile manufacturing, nanotechnology, biotechnology) across all dimensions will offer a synergistic advancement of technological capabilities. How these new capabilities influence the human dimension of the future Modular Force is of vital interest for the Army to explore.

Biological Systems
Biological systems and processes used in many areas inspire sensors to affect manufacturing, self-modify diseases, as well as genetically modify crops, people, and animals. By 2015, the biotechnology revolution will be in full swing with major achievements in combating disease, increasing food production, reducing pollution, and enhancing the quality of life.¹⁷³ Examples of future biological enhancements include bioengineering of small intestine sub mucosa (pig intestines) to heal wounds in humans and the use of robotic devices to retrain muscles. Biotech will allow improved organ and implant efficiency of eyes, ears, and internal organs that will allow quality and duration of life improvements. However, the same applications that mitigate disease, malnutrition, pollution, and crime can be readily adapted to create potent, new weapons.
Machines and Computers
Trends in machines and computers included robotic miniaturization, quantum computing, human-machine interfaces, and new materials. These include new breakthroughs in sensors, computer processing, and miniaturization on the molecular level. Nanotechnology will lead to miniaturization and micro-production of cameras, sensors, and communications devices and networks. Nanotechnology will enable development of “swarming” tactics—the use of large numbers of tiny vehicles either autonomously (each acting individually) or networked (the swarm acting as a single entity to conduct attacks to overwhelm defenses). When properly directed, swarms can conduct continuous, autonomous operations.
Researchers believe quantum computing has the potential to provide ten to the 15^th power (Teraflop) operations per second.¹⁷⁴ Advances in computing will lead to advances in robotics, with some robots nearly as smart as humans in some tasks, and faster and smarter in others, though unable to match the human’s ability to adapt and innovate to new circumstances. As technology advances, interactions between man and processing devices will increase. The human machine interface may be the key to yielding quicker recognition and response times for any number of processes that still require a human input. Limb and organ prostheses developed in the human machine interface domain may help to overcome many physical disabilities. New materials projected for the future will go far beyond the limits of current metallurgy and ceramics. New structural and functional materials will be computer-designed and or optimized materials ranging from metal alloys, semiconductors, and superconductors, to proteins. These materials will be relatively inexpensive, lightweight, and super-hardened.
In the next 10-20 years, breakthroughs in new structural materials and propulsion physics materials will contribute to the concept of cheap access to space. Micro-payloads will alter the space access matrix from dollars per pound to value per pound, enabling less expensive access to space. Using new materials, engineers will explore alternatives for reliable and affordable access to earth orbit such as the expendable launch vehicle.¹⁷⁵ Non-state actors may take advantage of cheap access to space to wage anti-satellite warfare.
Information, Knowledge, and Communications
The information, knowledge, and communications revolution will continue to accelerate. Moore’s Law (whereby, the number of transistors on a chip doubles about every two years), or variations thereof, will hold true for another 20 years.¹⁷⁶ Future information, knowledge, and communications systems will greatly speed data flow and contribute to global connectivity and interconnectedness. As a result, there will be a major shift away from nation-states controlling or protecting information. Networks will expand exponentially, making it easier for groups and individuals to share information rapidly. There will be tele-everything: tele-conferencing, -shopping, -working, -schooling, and -playing. Other materials and methods will surpass the limits of silicon-based processing. Bio-enabled computing power can facilitate mind-mapping techniques to enhance significantly the efficiency and effectiveness of computer-assisted decisionmaking. Pervasive information, combined with lower costs for many advanced technologies, will result in individuals and small groups having the ability to become super-empowered. Potential adversaries will employ niche technology—weapons of mass destruction, for example—capable of defeating key systems and providing inexpensive countermeasures to costly systems.


Energy
Alternative energy sources will become more prevalent. Hydrogen, various forms of atomic energy, and hybrid systems, will reduce reliance on fossil fuels for powering our society, thus reducing oil dependence. Derivatives of alternate energy sources may replace or enhance current battery technology. A National Aeronautics and Space Administration study of cosmic energy suggests that humans only understand four percent of the matter in the universe, so there remains a potential to tap the unknown.¹⁷⁷ New types of energy, such as positronic energy conversion, zero point energy, and high energy density materials, along with currently available direct energy, have the potential to meet some of our energy needs. As an example of new S&T research, positronic energy conversion and zero point energy theoretically could produce energy without a radiation byproduct.¹⁷⁸
As is the case in many other disciplines, the integration of two or more of these emerging technologies often creates a synergy where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. For example, a nano machine may serve as a carrier for a chemical or pharmaceutical agent. A computer implant can help to restore a biological/physical function. These examples also serve to illustrate the growing trend toward developing dual-use technologies. That nano machine used as a medical device to deliver a drug to a precise location in the human body can be easily adapted to deliver a lethal agent.
While man has consistently demonstrated a propensity to turn S&T advancements into instruments of war, it is of some comfort that over the long term, advancements often have an overall positive impact on the human condition. Neutral in and of themselves, this positive impact is a result of their ultimately responsible use once integrated into the human dimension.