Scientific American - The Science of War: Weapons

The art of war, according to Sun Tzu's 2,000-year-old text of the same name, is largely a matter of strategy, but the science of war begins squarely with weapons. Physics and engineering - and more often today, chemistry and biology - drive the creation of new military tools, from smart bombs and stealth aircraft to nerve gases and plastic explosives.

In the Weapons issue, scientists share their expertise on one terror of the ancient battlefield, the trebuchet, as well as several modern-day scourges, including land mines, third world submarines and biological arms. Additional articles feature in-depth research by staff editors on more futuristic threats - in the form of swift subsea systems and so-called non-lethal weapons. - the Editors