Suchergebnisse

"Nanotechnology (NT) is about analysis and engineering of structures with size between 0.1 and 100 nanometres (1 nm = 10 -9 m). At this scale, new effects occur and the boundaries between physics, chemistry and biology vanish. NT is predicted to lead to stronger but lighter materials, markedly smaller computers with immensely increased power, large and small autonomous robots, tools for manipulation of single molecules, targeted intervention within cells, connections between electronics and neurones, and more. In recent years military research and development (R&D) of NT has been expanded markedly, with the USA far in the lead. US work spans the full range from electronics via materials to biology. While much of this is still at the fundamental level, efforts are being made to bring applications to the armed forces soon. One quarter to one third of the Federal funding for NT goes to military R&D, and the USA outspends the rest of the world by a factor 4 to 10. NT applications will likely pervade all areas of the military. Very small electronics and computers will be used everywhere, e.g. in glasses, uniforms, munitions. Large-scale battle-management and strategy-planning systems will apply human-like reasoning at increasing levels of autonomy, integrating sensors, communication devices and displays into an ubiquitous network. Stronger but light-weight materials, more efficient energy storage and propulsion will allow faster and more agile vehicles in all media. NT-based materials and explosives can bring faster and more precise projectiles. Small arms, munitions and anti-personnel missiles without any metal can become possible. Systems worn by soldiers could monitor the body status and react to injury. Systems implanted into the body could monitor the biochemistry and release drugs, or make contacts to nerves and the brain to reduce the reaction time, later possibly to communicate complex information. Autonomous land vehicles, ships and aircraft would become possible mainly through strongly increased computing power. By using NT to miniaturise sensors, actuators and propulsion, autonomous systems (robots) could also become very small, principally down to below a millimetre - fully artificial or hybrid on the basis of e.g. insects or rats. Satellites and their launchers could become small and cheap, to be used in swarms for earth surveillance, or for anti-satellite attack. Whereas no marked change is expected concerning nuclear weapons, NT may lead to various new types of chemical and biological weapons that target specific organs or act selectively on a certain genetic or protein pattern. On the other hand, NT will allow cheap sensors for chemical or biological warfare agents as well as materials for decontamination. Most of these applications are ten or more years away. Using criteria of preventive arms control, potential military NT applications are evaluated. New conventional, chemical and biological weapons would jeopardise existing arms-control treaties. Armed autonomous systems would endanger the law of warfare. Military stability could decrease with small distributed battlefield sensors and in particular with armed autonomous systems. Arms racing and proliferation have to be feared with all applications. Strong dangers to humans would ensue from armed mini-/ micro-robots and new chemical/ biological weapons used by terrorists. Negative effects on human integrity and human rights could follow indirectly if body manipulation were applied in the military before a thorough societal debate on benefits, risks and regulation." (excerpt)

"Die fortschreitende Integration der Volkswirtschaften der Welt hat eine ausufernde Diskussion darüber entfacht, ob diese Dimension der 'Globalisierung' Frieden schafft, Konflikte schürt oder weder einen direkten noch einen indirekten Einfluss auf das Risiko politischer Gewalt ausübt. Zu den am heftigsten diskutierten indirekten Effekten gehören die Konsequenzen der außenwirtschaftlichen Öffnung auf den inneren Zusammenhalt von Gesellschaften. Globalisierungsskeptiker schreiben dem Abbau von Handelshemmnissen und Kapitalverkehrskontrollen negative Wirkungen zu; umgekehrt lässt die These des 'Freihändlerischen Friedens' erwarten, dass sich Gesellschaften angesichts der vergrößerten Wohlfahrt, einer direkten Wirkung der Öffnung, durch außenwirtschaftliche Öffnung befrieden lassen. Standardmodelle der Politischen Ökonomie qualifizieren diese politisch relevante, oft aber empiriefern geführte Debatte auf zentrale Weise: So lassen beide Standardmodelle zur Analyse der Wirkungen handelspolitischer Maßnahmen, das Ricardo-Viner- und das Heckscher-Ohlin-Modell (bzw. das Stolper-Samuelson-Modell), erwarten, dass die Liberalisierung zunächst zu einem Umverteilungskonflikt führt. Aus diesem Grund werden sich die Verlierer der Globalisierung zumindest kurzfristig gegen den Liberalisierungsschritt wenden. Wenn die hauptsächliche Konfliktlinie in der Außenwirtschaftspolitik zwischen den Sektoren verläuft, wird die Opposition vom importkonkurrierenden Sektor kommen. Wirft die Handels- und Kapitalverkehrspolitik einen Graben zwischen den verschiedenen Faktorbesitzern auf, ist eher mit Widerstand des knappen Faktors zu rechnen. Dies ist, vereinfacht gesagt, in den Industrieländern die Arbeiterschaft und in Entwicklungsländern die Gruppe der Kapitalbesitzer. (...)" (Autorenreferat)