Biological weapons Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Biological weapons - Research Paper Example Because of the level of destruction that these weapons are capable of causing, the use of these can be a motivation for many adversaries. Also, these weapons are indiscriminately used to kill people. So they might not just affect the military, but may also cause numerous deaths in the civilian populations. Further, a wound due to other weapons can be treated. A biological weapon might be hard to detect and once detected, might not have a cure. Biological weapons also tend to have long term effects on the human and living populations as compared to nuclear missiles and arms. (Satpathy 10) History Although biological weapons have now come into notice, they have been used for centuries. The use of these weapons dates back to 1500 BC when the people suffering from a plague were often driven into the territories of the enemy. The plague would not just kill or sicken the enemy civil populations but would also render the military unsuitable for war. Apart from that, the spears and arrows we re often poisoned so that the enemy could not just be wounded, but would also have poison spread in his body. In the famous First Sacred War, the Athenians poisoned the water supply of the city of Kirrha in order to kill the military combatants. In other wars, clay pots containing snakes were often thrown on the enemy. (Chauhan 158) Slowly over the centuries, biological weapons took new forms. Before the 17th century, the most common way of inflicting disease on the enemy was to throw the infected corpses into the water supply of the cities. Since water is a basic necessity, this ensured that all the people were infected. Later, however, new ways of introducing the diseases were established. For instance in the 18th century, in Native America, two blankets and a handkerchief exposed to small pox were given to the Natives by the British in order to disease them. Diseases like influenza spread often due to the exchange of goods at ports from ships that came from different regions. Bio logical warfare went to a new extreme when in the Second Sino Japanese war, the Japanese tested all kinds of biological weapons on the prisoners held in custody so that the weapons could then be used to combat the enemy in the future. In the First World War, the most famous and extensive Biowarfare program was started by the empire of Germany. This program included the supply of teams of saboteurs to areas like Finland where they placed anthrax (a disease causing agent) in the stables of Russia in the year 1916. (Chauhan 159) German intelligence officers also created glanders that could be used to affect livestock and crops, particularly at ports. The Imperial Japanese army also was responsible for many pathogen outbreaks in the same period. From the year 1937 to 1945, the Japanese army contaminated the Horustein river in Soviet Russia with typhoid. The army also used made use of bombs having fleas that could carry the bubonic plague. Air dropping of plagued fleas was also a common thing against the Chinese. After the use of the biological weapons in the first and second world wars, nations like the US, Soviet Union and Britain started the experimentation of agents that could be used as biological weapons. The US started its US Biological Weapon testing program through which it started research on the topic. Operation whitecoat was one of the leading operations of the US that aimed to study the effects of

Elements of Competency for Engineers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Elements of Competency for Engineers - Essay Example Another element of competency for engineers that I want to achieve perfection in is professional and personal attributes. I realize that engineering as a professional plays a very instrumental role in the economic development of society. As such as an engineer I will be a play a role that touches on the lives of many as well as aspects of society, economy and environmental issues. As such high standards of ethics and professional conduct will be expected of me by the large society. I will, therefore, use information and engineering technologies in a manner that is beneficial to all stakeholders. I am currently working to achieve this competency by thinking creatively, innovatively and maintaining a proactive personality as an engineer. I try to carry myself in an orderly manner and effectively practice teamwork. These competencies are set in order to stimulate engineers to rise to the occasion and serve the community in a manner that is diligently ethical, professional and beneficial . As a future engineer being competent in these important skill areas will be of extremely crucial important. By appropriately and proactively applying my skills, I will be able to serve the society by addressing defined engineering problems. I will consider the consequences of my actions to clients, society and the environment and make the most appropriate decisions when executing my duties as an engineer. By upholding high standards of ethics and professionalism I will be able to place first the interest of the public.