How can any one nation improve its ability to counter the threat from existing biological weapons without being perceived, by other nations, as acquiring an enhanced capability to deploy such weapons?
• In an era in which all molecular structures become directly observable, how can privatized economic missions be reconciled with the scientific tradition of a free and open literature, and with the fact that the genome is humanity’s common heritage? Whether quantum microscopy works or not — but sooner if it does work — humanity must make progress toward resolving these issues. Meeting these challenges is opening tremendous new frontiers, with wonderful opportunities for scientific discovery, humanitarian achievement, and wealth creation. The Biological Warfare Convention represents humanity’s nearest approach to a consensus on these difficult issues. A list of signatory nations is available. It is heartening to see how many nations have signed this treaty, but it is sobering that many of these nations are presently war-torn and/or unstable. On a hopeful and inspirational note, the heroic conquest of yellow fever by Major Walter Reed and colleagues of the US ARMY Medical Corps– some
Related Questions
- How can any one nation improve its ability to counter the threat from existing biological weapons without being perceived, by other nations, as acquiring an enhanced capability to deploy such weapons?
- What major nations pioneered the offensive use of biological weapons against civilians?
- What biological weapons pose the biggest threat?