Cognotechnology

Cognotechnology is a term coined by American military researchers seeking a means of human mind control via nanotechnology. They are not funded specifically to do such research, but the American military establishment is very heavily funding research efforts into other areas of nanotechnology, and recognizes its usefulness in creating weapons of mass destruction. There would reasonably need to be some means of controlling at least the individuals deploying such dangerous weapons, to prevent them from using it in 'bad' ways.

Like other such ambitious schemes, e.g. mind transfer, there seems to be no clear path to such technological powers, but nonetheless that the issue is discussed by well-funded researchers in rich nations, makes it more noteworthy, especially given the (claimed) reality of human cloning, a recent American government project seeking "Total Information Awareness" (already approved in law, and effectively authorizing compiling all Internet sources for spy purposes), and the "with us or against us" rhetoric of the G. W. Bush administration. It seems clear that if "cognotechnology" were deemed a practical goal of research, it would most likely be funded.

Most who have heard of it consider it an undesirable goal, or impossible. However, it is far from an unusual suggestion in the American military establishment, that human minds can be so controlled, e.g. experiments with LSD in the 1960s, use of amphetamines for pilots today.

See also: persuasion technology, nanotechnology, cognitive science, brainwashing