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"Evolution
of Weaponry"
Weapons
as Devices to Overcome Physical and Psychological Limitations
Ultimately the nature of humans determines the nature of
their weapons. There is the nature of the body and the nature
of the mind; let us first examine the nature of humans'
physical limitations and the evolution of weapons to overcome
these limitations.
Overcoming
Physical Limitations
The physical limitations of humans are a key factor in their
search for weapons. The need for force, mobility, distance,
and protection have been the key requirements in this realm.
- The
Need for Force:
The physical strength limitations of humans led to a need
for greater physical force in order to hit an opponent
harder and more effectively, resulting in the development
of more effective methods to transfer kinetic energy to
an opponent. This process evolved from hitting someone
with a handheld rock (providing the momentum energy of
a greater mass than just a fist), to sharp rocks (focusing
the energy in a smaller impact point), to a sharp rock
on a stick (providing mechanical leverage combined with
a cutting edge), to spears [using the latest material
technology (flint, bronze, iron, steel) to focus energy
into smaller and smaller penetration points], to swords
(which permit the option of using a thrusting, spear-like
penetration point or the mechanical leverage of a hacking,
cutting edge), to the long bow (using stored mechanical
energy and a refined penetration point), to firearms (transferring
chemical energy to a projectile in order to deliver an
extremely powerful dose of kinetic energy).
- The
Need for Mobility:
Limited by the constraints of a bipedal body that could
be outrun by a majority of ground-based creatures and
recognizing that a human who has cast off weapons and
armor is hard for a human carrying a weapon to catch and
kill, humans' cross-country speed limitations created
a need for a mobility advantage. The result, a succession
of weapons to provide more-efficient means to go evade
or to chase an enemy. These weapons evolved from: the
chariots of the Egyptians, Babylonians, and Persians (which
were without horse collars, an invention of the Romans)
and were thus quite inefficient [since the mounting system
choked the horse]; to the cavalry of the Greeks and Romans
(which, without stirrups, limited but did not completely
prevent the ability to strike from horseback); to the
cavalry that dominated the battlefield throughout the
age of the European knights (since the introduction of
stirrups made it possible to deliver a powerful blow from
horseback without danger of falling off) and continued
to play a key (but ever-decreasing) role up to the beginning
of the 20th century; to modern mechanized infantry; tanks;
and (the ultimate form of mobility) aircraft. Simultaneously,
a similar evolution of ever-more-effective forms of mobility
took place with ships at sea until the introduction of
aircraft [originally based on ships (aircraft carriers),
but increasingly ground-based, long-range aircraft] came
to dominate this realm.
- The
Need for Distance:
Similarly, humans' limited reach created a need for a
range advantage in an effort to attack more people than
just those in immediate reach (i.e., to increase the zone
of influence) and to do so without placing oneself in
danger. This need resulted in increasingly more efficient
means to kill at a distance, moving from the spear, to
the long spear of the Greek phalanx, to the throwing spears
of the Roman legionary, to the bow, the crossbow, the
English long bow, firearms, artillery, missiles, and aircraft.
- The
Need for Protection:
Physical vulnerability resulted in a continuous need for
armor that would help to limit an enemy's ability to inflict
harm (in the form of kinetic energy) upon one's own forces.
This evolution generally followed the latest development
of material technology, incorporating leather, bronze,
iron, and steel, until the invention of firearms created
a degree of force so great that the human body could not
carry sufficient steel to stop penetration. The only remnant
of armor was the helmet, to stop fragmentation (grenade
and artillery) wounds to the vulnerable and crucial brain
area. Today, this evolution continues in tank and ship
armor. Interestingly, in recent years, human-made fiber
technology (such as Kevlar) has again made body armor
practical, and for the first time in centuries the average
combatant, in both law enforcement and military realms,
once again wears body armor.
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