Most people are embarrassed when they think of more sinister, powerful and destructive weapon systems. The very idea that enormous financial and monetary resources are being put into weapons that ultimately help kill people makes one shudder, and yet advanced weaponry has advantages, and the advantages are enormous. I would like to discuss this for a moment because I was recently interviewed on the subject.

Daniel (the interviewer) asks: How can the development of new weapons help humanity?

You know, when I speak at universities, I get this question early and often. Look, nobody wants to have a war. There is nothing noble about killing members of one’s own species. It’s a tragic failure of humanity, although evolutionarily speaking, this streak of aggression that is deep, well let’s just say it’s there for a reason. However, while I do not approve of carnage, I know that only 1% of all people who have ever lived have died in a war. Most die of old age, I think we should focus maximum research funding on longevity, maybe then we will remember our past and not repeat it, perhaps ending the war in the future.

However, we do not live in the future, we live now, and without debating the philosophical scientific question; “What is time?” we must defend ourselves when our leaders reach a political stalemate and the fight begins. “The best advice when it comes to a war is not to have one, but if you find yourself in a war, it is better to win it quickly and decisively,” I often reflect; if Karl von Clausewitz were alive today, would you approve of that?

Now let’s get back to the question, and I’m sorry to ramble there, but it’s important, especially for the next generation whose talented minds will keep us safe. There is a reason why nations spend so much on defense and why it is so necessary.

If we look back, we see Leonardo da Vinci who spent a portion of his time inventing and drawing war machines, roughly 1/3 of his time judging by the sheer volume or work he left behind. It was as important then as it is today.

Now, consider all the technology, originally used to make weapons, that helps us in our daily lives today. What about jet plane travel? Jet engines were developed to propel warplanes faster. How about rocketry, or how about the Internet, originally developed by ARPA and Bell Labs?

My grandfather worked with radars, we use them for air traffic control. He also worked with microwave rays, pure Naval Research, today we cook food with the same technology. What about GPS navigation? What about satellites? Think about it, what would our lives be like today without those things? What about that smartphone in your pocket, the one you just used to text, buy coffee, scan your boarding pass, and schedule a meeting? Yes, you can appreciate defense spending and research.

The new materials used in our high-tech aircraft will be used to make cars, trucks, buses, airplanes, future flying cars and trains lighter, which means they use less energy (less fuel) and are stronger and safer. In the same way, we will have better construction materials, more sustainable and stronger. What about lasers for manufacturing, dentistry, or on Mars Rovers?

In fact, I think we owe a lot to the development of weapons systems, just as we owe a lot to our space exploration and particle acceleration technologies. This is the message that I would like to carry because I see these innovations and transfer technologies, as well as what they have done in the past for humanity, I see it as a trend that will definitely continue. Consider this and think about it.