Chemical

Bleach, ammonia, air fresheners, antifreeze, toilet bowl cleaner, clog remover, laundry detergent, mothballs, motor oil, oven cleaner, rat poison, windshield wiper fluid..... These are just some of the toxic chemicals we use on a regular basis in our house. And where do these chemicals go? Down the drain, and what can't be cleaned from our sewers gets dispersed into the environment. And that's just from our own homes. Commercial and industrial businesses produce a far more dangerous variety of these polluting and toxic chemicals at an alarming rate.

If it's not enough that we contaminate ourselves, there are others who want to contaminate us directly. There are plenty of terrorists in the world and one of the grand prizes they all hope to get their hands on is a weapon of mass destruction like a chemical bomb or a deadly virus. Today's society is more vulnerable to terrorism because it is easier for a malevolent group to get hold of the necessary materials, technology, and expertise to make such chemical weapons. And chances are high that a major attack will occur somewhere in the world, within our lifetimes.

If chemical warfare isn't terrifying enough, then there is also biochemical warfare. There is a parasite called toxoplasmosa gondii. It infects rats, but it can only reproduce inside the intestines of a cat, so it evolved a trick to actually take over the rat’s brain and compels it to hang out around cats. Naturally, the cat eats the rat. The cat is happy. The parasite is happy because it gets to reproduce in the cat’s intestines. Now take note: rats and humans are actually very similar, which is why they are used for so many medical experiments. And also note: humans are already infected with the toxoplasmosa gondii parasite - roughly half of the population of the Earth. At present, toxoplasmosa gondii does not affect humans the way it does rats. But what if it did? What if the viruse mutates? What if a terrorist group manipulates it in bio-weapons laboratories? What if half of the population had no instinct for self-preservation and was unable to think in a rational manner?