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There is research on nerve agents and gases, but are there any man-portable weapons that may be able to harm the CNS without gas? Thanks.

AMENDED: Results in symptoms like shaking, tremors that are not related to any disease process. (I’m a novice. Thanks.)

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  • $\begingroup$ Currently? Theoretically? How many shots do you need? Range? $\endgroup$
    – Clockwork-Muse
    Mar 30 at 17:24
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    $\begingroup$ If you don't need specificity, a gun or baseball bat will do the trick. $\endgroup$
    – Nuclear Hoagie
    Mar 30 at 17:25
  • $\begingroup$ Could you define a bit more in detail what exactly you mean by "harm" the CNS? Otherwise the technical correct answer would be "a gun" but thats obviously not what you want. $\endgroup$
    – datacube
    Mar 30 at 17:25
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    $\begingroup$ Perhaps a taser would meet the criteria? $\endgroup$
    – Slarty
    Mar 30 at 17:41
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    $\begingroup$ The traditional non-chemical weapon targetting the central nervous system is the beheading axe. And, of course, a bullet to the head will also harm the central nervous system. $\endgroup$
    – AlexP
    Mar 30 at 17:54

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There are lots of bacteria and viruses that cause paralysis and brain damage; so yes. They can be delivered with injections, coating surfaces and other approaches besides gas. Prions can also cause harm to the nervous system and can be transmitted by ingestion with food- probably other ways too.

They are 'of chemicals' but they are primarly living systems or at least living adjacent for viruses, that can be argued elsewhere I think!

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    $\begingroup$ And prions! Don't forget those nasty little self-assembling proteins! $\endgroup$
    – jdunlop
    Mar 30 at 18:46
  • $\begingroup$ @jdunlop Good idea! Still closer to chemical than virus, but I think proteins are pretty high up on the assembly scale. I've added them to my answer. $\endgroup$
    – John McD
    Mar 30 at 19:11
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Now that disease processes have been disallowed, another route to look at would be powerful infra-sound or electromagnetic waves. Slightly out there as science goes, but at the same time there are plenty people who report issues with infrasound (for example living near wind turbines) and extreme sensitivty to various frequencies of electromagnetic radiation, mostly associated with wifi an things like 4G and 5G.

Perhaps the most well known in this bracket is Havana Syndrome: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Havana_syndrome

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    $\begingroup$ As detailed in the linked Wikipedia article and the March 2023 report on Havana Syndrome, there is no evidence that either electromagnetic radiation or infrasound were related to the symptoms experienced by US nationals. The current best guess is disparate causes. Moreover, EMF sensitivity has never been clinically proven. The plural of anecdote is not data, and as the OP specified hard-science, this is not an answer. $\endgroup$
    – jdunlop
    Mar 30 at 20:31
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    $\begingroup$ The cause of Havana Syndrome has not been resolved, but that also means that various hypotheticals have not been ruled out. There is a lot "improbable" and "not evidenced" but that doesn't equate to "impossible" and "not science". There is not a proven scientific answer to Havana Syndrome, just hypothesis. The question only asked for "may be able to harm" not proven to cause harm. $\endgroup$
    – John McD
    Mar 30 at 20:39
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    $\begingroup$ If the OP had asked for travel methods with the hard-science tag and someone put "yogic levitation" because no one has conclusively demonstrated that no one in history has ever levitated using yoga, it still wouldn't be a good answer. If it were even just science-based, then I'd've left it be, but this is not a hard-science answer, as the proposed action has never been demonstrated. $\endgroup$
    – jdunlop
    Mar 30 at 20:44
  • $\begingroup$ It very much has, but in the specific Havana symptoms. All sorts of electromagnetic radition can cause serious health issues, as can infrasound. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiation_chemistry $\endgroup$
    – John McD
    Mar 30 at 20:48
  • $\begingroup$ Sure, if you aim a 400W laser at me, it will have serious health effects. Effects on the CNS (aside from those, as entertained waggishly in comments that you can achieve with, say, an axe or a bullet) are, again, unproven, and in fact counterindicated by studies attempting to replicate the effect. Moreover, you'll note that the article you linked specifies ionizing radiation. $\endgroup$
    – jdunlop
    Mar 30 at 21:03
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A well-placed strike with a club can do a number to both the nervous system and the muscles. (And much more besides.) Very much man-portable too. No gas necessary beyond the air for the wielder to breathe.

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