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From: erc@tybalt.caltech.edu.UUCP
Newsgroups: alt.cyberpunk,rec.arts.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: Future Police Speculations Needed
Message-ID: <4415@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu>
Date: Thu, 5-Nov-87 01:07:02 EST
Article-I.D.: cit-vax.4415
Posted: Thu Nov  5 01:07:02 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 7-Nov-87 15:39:19 EST
References: <1463@haddock.ISC.COM> <1824@trex.rutgers.edu> <23473AE4@PSUVMA> <21598@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU>
Sender: news@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu
Reply-To: erc@tybalt.caltech.edu.UUCP (Eric R. Christian)
Organization: California Institute of Technology
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Xref: hoptoad alt.cyberpunk:149 rec.arts.sf-lovers:8428

In article <21598@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU> max@trinity (Max Hauser) writes:
>This may be a little afield for alt.cyberpunk but Jon Acheson's
>provocative posting raised a point that, being of a technical bent,
>I'd like to follow up.
>
>In article <23473AE4@PSUVMA> AE4@PSUVMA.BITNET (Jon Acheson) writes:
>
>> ... Anti-terrorist techniques would also improve: in a hostage situation,
>>fast-acting anesthetic gas would be shot into the room: before the thug can
>>do anything, they are waking up in jail.
>
>Fast-acting anesthetics have been a staple soft weapon in science 
>fiction at least since _Brave New World_ but despite massive
>research they seem no more practical today than fifty years ago.
>
. . .  (lines removed)

It seems to me that much easier than a fast-acting anesthetic gas would be
a bacteria or virus that causes unconciousness very quickly, yet can still
be cured for several minutes (or more).  If it is contagious through the
skin, the only defense would be the equivalent of a space suit.  I can
very easily conceive of such a germ, and if we don't have it yet, I expect
that there is someone looking for it.

Along the same lines, it seems to me that germ warfare could be effectively
used by the criminal element as well.  Any nasty bug which you can
innoculate your own people against would be useful.  Imagine having a
hide-out doused with such a germ.  No unwanted visitors (for long).


Eric R. Christian
erc@tybalt.caltech.edu.uucp

"Everything to excess . . . Moderation is for monks"  Lazarus Long