Soldiers in the Laboratory

The report examines the disproportionate influence of the military sector, particularly in the UK and USA, on science, engineering, and technology (SET). It highlights how military funding and corporate lobbying shape research agendas, often marginalizing broader security concepts like climate change and poverty alleviation. The document calls for a significant shift of UK military R&D funds—suggesting one-third to one-half of the budget—toward civil R&D for peacebuilding and environmental protection, while urging greater transparency and a cessation of new nuclear weapons development.

• The military sector exerts a disproportionate influence on science, engineering, and technology, particularly in the UK and USA, with the UK-US 'special relationship' based on a 1958 treaty (renewed in 2004) further driving military R&D.
• In the 2003/04 period, the UK military spent approximately £2.7 billion on R&D, with £2.6 billion coming from the Ministry of Defence (MoD), representing 30 per cent of the total public R&D budget. Additionally, 40 per cent of government R&D personnel are employed by the MoD.
• Military and commercial interests often limit openness and accountability in SET through the excessive use of national security and commercial confidentiality arguments, which can stifle ethical debate and public scrutiny.
• The report argues that current military thinking prioritizes force over broader security concepts, resulting in the underfunding of SET programs for conflict prevention, poverty alleviation, and renewable energy technologies essential for tackling climate change.
• The development of new nuclear weapons by US and likely UK laboratories is identified as a threat to global security that may undermine the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and blur the line between conventional and nuclear warfare.
• The 'militarisation' of space science and biosciences in the USA has potentially lowered the priority of research into energy efficiency, low-cost therapeutic agents, and urgent climate change amelioration globally.

APA

Langley, C., Parkinson, S., & Webber, P. (2005). Soldiers in the Laboratory. Scientists for Global Responsibility. https://www.sgr.org.uk/sites/default/files/2019-04/Soldiers_in_Lab_exec_sum.pdf

Chicago

Langley, Chris, Stuart Parkinson, and Philip Webber. Soldiers in the Laboratory. Scientists for Global Responsibility, 2005. https://www.sgr.org.uk/sites/default/files/2019-04/Soldiers_in_Lab_exec_sum.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Langley |first1=Chris |last2=Parkinson |first2=Stuart |last3=Webber |first3=Philip |title=Soldiers in the Laboratory |publisher=Scientists for Global Responsibility |date=January 2005 |url=https://www.sgr.org.uk/sites/default/files/2019-04/Soldiers_in_Lab_exec_sum.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{langley2005soldiers, author = {Langley, Chris and Parkinson, Stuart and Webber, Philip}, title = {{Soldiers in the Laboratory}}, institution = {Scientists for Global Responsibility}, year = {2005}, month = jan, url = {https://www.sgr.org.uk/sites/default/files/2019-04/Soldiers_in_Lab_exec_sum.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }