It doesn’t seem unreasonable for the military to research optimizing performance enhancing drugs, I certainly use coffee (caffeine) that way and am addicted to it. I have read that in World War amphetamines were distributed to the German Army as part of their blitz tactics and also to German civilian populations for maximizing materials production. I’m clear about the sizable differences in level of addiction, potential for abuse and side affects across the spectrum of drugs. Nevertheless, if we are willing to accept war and causality combat as a viable alternative then use of otherwise questionable performance enhancing drugs seems relatively moral subordinate to the objective of sanctioned killing and unrestrained destruction and collateral damage.
Ultimately it seems to me the ideal technology is along the lines of Elon Musks “Neuralink” initiative. Implant a chip in our brain that not only generates optimal performance but also supplements mind functionality with high bandwidth transfer of calculations, information and insights. Least we be queasy about such ideas consider the conundrum of opposition forces using such technology forcing a counter adoption. This is no longer science fiction, it’s well inside the realm of near term possibility. Even if conflicts are gamification with remote controlled drones the human operators and their strategy commanders are still the key element of effective execution. We are already cyborgs, heads-up displays using computing and high speed networking creates a lot more knowledge than a human not equipped with such technology.
The point is this: as we consider caffeine, vaccinations, nutrition, penicillin, morphine, logistics, physical training, sleep and rest implications let’s be willing to try and step outside paradigms and ponder some really complex technological dilemmas that probably we are perhaps faced with in this rapidly evolving experience as humans. Ideally we can find humane paths to a “new” army that uses the technology to obsolete war as we have known it. The alternative may be fairly bleak
