Summary:

UCLA researchers in the Division of Physics and Astronomy have developed a less-than-lethal method for covertly creating adverse health effects in human subjects using particular waveforms. 

Background:

Several less-than-lethal techniques for altering or influencing the behavior of target subjects without physical contact have been developed. These behavioral effects methods are of particular interest within the military and have been used to change the motivation and/or decrease the ability of test subjects. The engineering and integration of nonphysical less-than-lethal techniques can facilitate more efficient subject questioning and reduced interrogation times. Traditional nonphysical techniques rely on external stimuli to induce the desired effect in the test subject. While these methods have demonstrated success in altering behavior, they suffer from the fact that the subject generally may become aware of the external stimulus. As such, subjects can avoid the intended effect of the technique simply by taking evasive action (i.e., protecting their vision from a strobe light), greatly limiting the efficiency and applicability of these established methods. There remains an unmet need for a technique that is based on a covert stimulus to influence or alter the behavior of human subjects.