Destroying opium or cocaine fields involves dropping soldiers to perform manual destruction with whatever method is chosen for the initiative. This approach faces challenges due to hostile resistance from the fields' patrons and the fact that these fields are spread over huge areas. Thus without a massive number of soldiers, this becomes a prolonged "cat and mouse game". One potential solution is to change the nature of the "game" itself by using nanogenomic-robots instead of soldiers.
Nanogenomic-robot explained
"Genomic" can be explained as "the study of all the genes of the cell at the DNA ... level". "Robot" refers to machine or gadget that is programmable to perform specific tasks. "Nano" literally means one billionth of a metre, and in this case refers to nanotechnology.
"Genomic-robot", in the narrow context of this discussion, describes a gadget that can sense or identify the exact DNA of an organism where it is attached to and then perform specific pre-programmed tasks. Nanogenomic-robot refers to such genomic-robot that is produced using nanotechnology, in other words, tiny-sized genomic-robot. (The alternative term would be genomic-nanorobot / nanobot.) In practice, the tiny robot will function en masse, together with other tiny robots as a collective, similar to a colony of bugs.
Nanogenomic-robot in action
The following scenario describes a potential use of nanogenomic-robot in destroying an opium or cocaine field. First, military intelligence unit reports the longitude and latitude coordinate (e.g. in Central Asia or Central America) where an opium or cocaine field is located. Then, unmanned aircraft is sent to fly over the target area carrying a collective of nanogenomic-robots. On reaching the target area, the unmanned aircraft drops off the collective over the opium or cocaine field.
On contact with a plant, each robot reads the plant DNA to confirm that it is indeed attached to a living opium or cocaine plant. If not, then the robot moves to an adjacent plant. If yes, then the robot destroys the plant. Once the opium or cocaine plant is destroyed, the robot then moves to an adjacent plant and repeats the cycle of "search and destroy". Visually this works like a plague of locusts.
Then hours after drop off, the unmanned aircraft returns to pick up the collective. Any robot that somehow gets left behind would then self-destructs (a la Mission Impossible) into harmless and biodegradable layer of dust-sized particles.
Benefits and challenges
Assuming the above scenario, the benefits are clear.
- No soldier casualties
- Highly targeted opium or cocaine plant destruction with no impact to other plants (e.g. food crops)
- Safe for human, animal and the environment
On the other hand, the challenges are equally clear.
- At the time of writing, actual nanogenomic-robot as described above is still years away from a working reality
- Producing thousands of these robots would cost huge sum of money
There are also other factors that should be considered. United Nations (also Asia Times, Fox News, et cetera) have reported that opium is a major funding source for Taliban fighters. The amount of money that has been spent, and will continue to be spent, to fight the Taliban fighters is not small either. Destroying the opium fields will put a pressure on this funding source, and therefore a symbiotic benefit is shared between "war on drugs" and "war on terrorism".
Other uses for nanogenomic-robot
As with many researches, development for one purpose can lead to other profitable applications. Likewise, nanogenomic-robot. To name one example, among many, is agricultural application.
Pests and viruses can endanger agricultural output which led to the use of chemicals and the modification of crop genetics as preventive means. But both have strong opponents worldwide. The use of chemicals is proven, in many instances, to leave traces of the chemicals in the food they are trying to protect. Genetic modification is still relatively young, and so far the debate is still not yet settled. In both cases, the resulting product is perceived as not naturaly safe.
Nanogenomic-robot can solve this. Imagine a reverse of the opium / cocaine warfare scenario above. Instead of destroying the plant, nanogenomic-robot can be deployed to patrol agricultural farms and destroy unwanted invaders while being safe to humans and their animals. Think of it as programmable ladybug / ladybird. Farmers can grow natural crops without the need for genetic modification nor use of chemicals, confident in the knowledge that their crops are still protected from pests and viruses.
- -April 2009