Science and armed conflict

Science and armed conflict Skip to content Subscribe today Every print subscription comes with full digital access Subscribe Now Menu All Topics Health Humans Anthropology Health & Medicine Archaeology Psychology View All Life Animals Plants Ecosystems Paleontology Neuroscience Genetics Microbes View All Earth Agriculture Climate Oceans Environment View All Physics Materials Science Quantum Physics Particle Physics View All Space Astronomy Planetary Science Cosmology View All Magazine Menu All Stories Multimedia Reviews Puzzles Collections Educator Portal Century of Science Unsung characters Coronavirus Outbreak Newsletters Investors Lab About SN Explores Our Store SIGN IN Donate Home INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM SINCE 1921 SIGN IN Search Open search Close search Home INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM SINCE 1921 All Topics Earth Agriculture Climate Oceans Environment Humans Anthropology Health & Medicine Archaeology Psychology Life Animals Plants Ecosystems Paleontology Neuroscience Genetics Microbes Physics Materials Science Quantum Physics Particle Physics Space Astronomy Planetary Science Cosmology Tech Computing Artificial Intelligence Chemistry Math Science & Society All Topics Health Humans Humans Anthropology Health & Medicine Archaeology Psychology Recent posts in Humans Health & Medicine Amid vaccine policy whiplash, here’s how a pediatrician talks to families By Aimee Cunningham23 hours ago Health & Medicine GLP-1 microdosers are chasing longevity By Jamie DucharmeMarch 20, 2026 Archaeology A new study questions when people first reached South America By Tom MetcalfeMarch 19, 2026 Life Life Animals Plants Ecosystems Paleontology Neuroscience Genetics Microbes Recent posts in Life Space How realistic is Project Hail Mary? 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By Tina Hesman Saey and Carolyn GramlingMarch 20, 2026 Space One possible recipe for life on Titan is a bust By Tina Hesman SaeyMarch 11, 2026 Astronomy A strange ‘chirp’ in a brilliant stellar blast points to a magnetar By Jay BennettMarch 11, 2026 Editor's Note Science and armed conflict By Nancy Shute Editor in Chief 7 hours ago Share this:Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Share on X (Opens in new window) X Print (Opens in new window) Print Science has been intertwined with armed conflict for centuries. The Greek despot Dionysius the Elder of Syracuse is thought to have invented the catapult around 400 B.C., a technology upgrade that changed the course of battle through medieval times. Alchemists in China invented gunpowder around A.D. 850; initially used in fireworks, its use in cannons and handheld firearms followed. European forces enlisted hot air balloons for attacks and reconnaissance not long after they were invented in the 18th century. And airplanes were key to the course of World War II, including dropping atomic bombs on Japan in 1945. In this issue, we examine the health effects of tear gas, which evolved from being one of the first chemical weapons made for World War I to a tool for civilian crowd control. In a bizarre twist, one of its first uses in the United States was against World War I veterans protesting delays in bonus payments from the federal government. Sign up for our newsletter We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday. Though tear gas is sometimes considered more benign than other crowd control tools such as rubber bullets, it may cause long-term health problems, staff writer Nikk Ogasa reports. Quantifying that risk has become salient due to the widespread use of tear gas against people protesting U.S. administration actions. Connections between science and civil protest also resonate in space exploration, astronomy writer Lisa Grossman notes. In gearing up to cover this year’s Artemis II moon flyby, she imagined the mission as a unifying moment, like the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing. The impact of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions on her Minneapolis neighborhood made her question that premise. It turns out that people also questioned the value of Apollo 11, at a time when the country was riven by conflicts over civil rights and the Vietnam War. Science News’ top editor was among them. “It is impossible to minimize the astronauts’ accomplishment,” Warren Kornberg wrote in the July 26, 1969, issue. “But the verdict of history may well be that, while the world erupted, we ignored the real challenge and chased a rocket trail to the moon.” There’s much to question in the world’s current state. Finding value in supporting our fellow humans and in doing groundbreaking science should be a given. Questions or comments on this article? E-mail us at feedback@sciencenews.org | Reprints FAQ A version of this article appears in the April 1, 2026 issue of Science News. About Nancy Shute E-mail X Nancy Shute is editor in chief of Science News Media Group. Previously, she was an editor at NPR and US News & World Report, and a contributor to National Geographic and Scientific American. She is a past president of the National Association of Science Writers. We are at a critical time and supporting climate journalism is more important than ever. Science News and our parent organization, the Society for Science, need your help to strengthen environmental literacy and ensure that our response to climate change is informed by science. Please subscribe to Science News and add $16 to expand science literacy and understanding. Popular Stories Neuroscience Why is math harder for some kids? Brain scans offer clues By Lily BurtonFebruary 27, 2026 Animals Wild monkeys invaded Florida. 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