The Science of War: Weapons

The Science of War: Weapons (February 2002)
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The art of war, according to Sun Tzu's 2,000-year-old text of the same name, is largely a matter of strategy, but the science of war begins squarely with weapons. Physics and engineering--and more often today, chemistry and biology--drive the creation of new military tools, from smart bombs and stealth aircraft to nerve gases and plastic explosives. Thus it is with a collection of articles about weapons that we are launching online a special anthology of Scientific American's recent coverage on war.

In the Weapons issue, scientists share their expertise on one terror of the ancient battlefield, the trebuchet, as well as several modern-day scourges, including land mines, third world submarines and biological arms. Additional articles feature in-depth research by staff editors on more futuristic threats--in the form of swift subsea systems and so-called non-lethal weapons.--the Editors

Cover; The Science of War: Weapons; by Staff Editor; 1 Page(s)

Table of Contents; The Science of War: Weapons; by Staff Editor; 1 Page(s)

The Trebuchet; The Science of War: Weapons; by Paul E. Chevedden, Les Eigenbrod, Vernard Foley and Werner Soedel; 4 Page(s)

Recent reconstructions and computer simulations reveal the operating principles of the most powerful weapon of its time (Originally published in the July 1995 issue)

Third World Submarines; The Science of War: Weapons; by Daniel J. Revelle and Lora Lumpe; 6 Page(s)

The proliferation of submarines may be a threat to established navies and regional stability, but to arms manufacturers it is a market opportunity (Originally published in the August 1994 issue)

The Horror of Land Mines; The Science of War: Weapons; by Gino Strada; 4 Page(s)

Land mines kill or maim more than 15,000 people each year. Most victims are innocent civilians. Many are children. Still, mines are planted by the thousands every day (Originally published in the May 1996 issue)

The Specter of Biological Weapons; The Science of War: Weapons; by Leonard A. Cole; 5 Page(s)

States and terrorists alike have shown a growing interest in germ warfare. More stringent arms-control efforts are needed to discourage attacks (Originally published in the December 1996 issue)

Fighting Future Wars; The Science of War: Weapons; by Gary Stix; 6 Page(s)

U.S. military planners hope to rely on improved versions of the technologies tested in the Gulf War to help fight the next Saddam Hussein. They may be preparing for the wrong conflict (Originally published in the December 1996 issue)

Warp Drive Underwater; The Science of War: Weapons; by Steven Ashley; 9 Page(s)

Traveling inside drag-cutting bubbles, secret torpedoes and other subsea naval systems can move hundreds of miles per hour (Originally published in the May 2001 issue)