Military

Game theory isn't about people scratching their heads over a never-ending game of Monopoly. Serious theorists, like Henry Kissinger, used it to form war strategies.

By Tom Scheve

Capable of firing a round of shots from what appears to be out of nowhere, the no-line-of-sight cannon (NLOS-C) can put the kibosh on enemy movement.

By Josh Clark

Somewhere in the world, a prisoner likely is enduring torture right now. Human rights organizations have made it their mission to report these crimes against men, women and children. Here are 10 of the most common ways torture is perpetuated in modern society.

By Josh Clark & Jonathan Atteberry

A gas mask alone won't protect you if enemies lob this chemical weapon at you. Why did so many soldiers learn this the hard way during World War I?

By Josh Briggs

Your most rugged pair of blue jeans can't hold a candle to the cutting-edge blast-resistant clothing and technology. Sure, these fabrics are tough, but can they diffuse bomb blasts?

By Tom Scheve

Fanciful ideas of underwater submersibles fascinated engineers centuries before the nuclear submarine ever took shape. How did the nuclear submarine evolve? And what, exactly, makes it nuclear?

By Tom Scheve

Those same, buzzing insects that seek out molecular hints of the pollen they use to make honey can just as easily detect traces of materials used to bombs. How are honeybees used to find bombs?

By Julia Layton

The U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) initiative is a massive overhaul of military technology intended to prepare the Army for modern warfare. Learn how.

By Ed Grabianowski

Unique among the U.S. armed forces, the Coast Guard is perpetually on active duty, entrusted with lots of responsibilities, including saving lives at sea and enforcing maritime laws.

By Ed Grabianowski & Francisco Guzman

Body armor is about to undergo the biggest change in centuries -- new liquid formations are making Kevlar much lighter and more flexible to wear. Find out about this new technique for making body armor more wearable.

By Tracy V. Wilson

The Kim Jong Un regime continues to demonstrate its desire to threaten the U.S. and its allies with nuclear-armed ICBMs. But can any of these missiles actually reach the U.S. mainland?

By Julia Layton & Sarah Gleim

In the first reports released since North Korea announced its underground nuclear test on Monday, officials are saying they have found no evidence of a nuclear signature in the air above the blast site.

By Julia Layton

In 2007, Attorney General nominee Michael Mukasey came under fire for refusing to classify water boarding as torture. What does water boarding entail? Does it work?

By Julia Layton

Sure, llamas are our friends. But little did we know that these fuzzy, camel-like creatures might save us all should the End come in the form of a biological attack.

By Julia Layton

Whether you call it a homemade bomb, a booby trap or an improvised explosive device, an IED is simple to make, easily hidden and extraordinarily destructive. Why are these deadly devices one of the No. 1 killers of soldiers in Iraq.

By Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D.

The Vietnam War occurred decades ago, but one of its legacies lingers on in Vietnamese soil and the U.S. court system. How did this defoliant do so much damage?

By Jacob Silverman

When he needs a new state-of-the-art trick up his sleeve, James Bond asks Q. Who do U.S. soldiers go to for cutting-edge equipment?

By Jonathan Strickland

Suicide bombings are chillingly logical. By hiding explosives on a willing carrier, individuals smuggle death into densely populated areas. But are these bombers strictly a modern phenomenon?

By Robert Lamb

Whether they're antique rifles or modern handguns and shotguns, firearms are popular in the United States. So which pieces are people packing?

By William Harris

Once you pass through this school's gates, you leave your civilian clothes and ordinary life behind and join the South Carolina Corps of Cadets. It's a far cry from the adventures of a typical, clueless college freshman. So what's knob life like?

By Craig Freudenrich, Ph.D.

Have you always thought of yourself as more of a Jean-Pierre than a Jon? Good news, you can still be that guy, provided you're willing to fight for France for five years.

By William Harris

You may have thought militaries stopped using napalm after the Vietnam War thanks to the United Nations, but this incendiary weapon lives on in modern warfare. Has it also been used in Iraq?

By Jacob Silverman

These 10 technologies changed war and the course of history as we know it. Some of these battlefield innovations, like adding grooves to gun barrels, are surprisingly simple. So what else made our list?

By Susan L. Nasr

Early unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) primarily carried out reconnaissance missions in war zones, but the Reaper packs some serious heat. Is there anything more foreboding than a drone with a Hellfire missile?

By Tom Scheve

Bullet-resistant glass seems flimsy once you compare it with transparent aluminum armor. Will this new heavy-duty material soon be shielding soldiers and police officers?

By Tom Scheve