Inside Porton Down-BBC 2016

7/25/2019 Inside Porton Down-BBC 2016

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nside Britain's secret weapons research facility"r Michael Mosle!#

As Porton Down marks its 100th anniversary, what really

goes on inside Britain's most secretive and controversial

military research base

Porton "own $ also %nown as the "eence Science and Technolog!

'a(orator! $ is where much o our to)$secret militar! research is

concentrated* +t has a (udget o ,-..m a !ear and em)lo!s more

than /0... scientists* +t is the most contro1ersial0 most

misunderstood and0 some sa!0 most$eared scientiic institution in

Britain* Though man! will ha1e heard o Porton "own0 ew will

ha1e much idea a(out what goes on inside*

So + was delighted when + was in1ited to go (ehind the ence0

ma%e a documentar! a(out the research that goes on there*

Set in more than 20... acres o English countr!side0 Porton "own was created 3.. !ears ago in

In today's !aga"ine

#as there a Bre$it grad%ategap

&ow do ( people in the () feelabo%t Bre$it

*tory of India told thro%gh asamosa

*ydney street ripped %p everyweekend

News Sport Weather Shop Earth Travel


2/8

res)onse o e erman gas a ac s o or ar ne* e rs o ese a ac s aga ns r s roo)sin1ol1ed the use o chlorine* Thousands o soldiers0 who had no idea what the! were acing0 suered

se1ere chemical (urns or died in agon!* #hlorine was soon 6oined (! mustard gas and )hosgene*

Find out more

Inside Porton Down+ Britain's *ecret #eapons esearch -acilityis on BB# Four on Tuesda!

78 9une 7.3: at 73;.. BST $ catch u) on BB. iPlayer

'ord Kitchener0 Britain


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#S gas is not )articularl! dangerous0 (ut another chemical agent which was also de1elo)ed at Porton

"own during the 3>-.s certainl! is* +t


4/8

The! are0 or eam)le0 wor%ing with Birmingham Uni1ersit! on a de1ice that can detect tin! luctuations

in gra1it!* The ho)e is that this will0 in the uture0 ena(le them to see through walls and dee)

underground*

5ther research li%el! to ha1e a more immediate im)act is the use o =s!nthetic (iolog!= to create (od!

armour which would (e more lightweight0 lei(le (ut which would still sto) (ullets* The idea (ehind

s!nthetic (iolog! is that (! stud!ing how animals create )rotecti1e shells we will (e a(le to grow

ceramic (od! armour rom irst )rinci)les*

5ne o the most chilling (its o research + saw0 howe1er0 was their wor% stud!ing )otential (iologicalthreats* There is0 or eam)le0 concern that a terrorist grou) might decide to attac% us using a =dirt!

(om(= containing something li%e the e(ola 1irus0 which has a mortalit! rate o u) to >.*

An e)eriment + watched in a #ategor! + la(orator! ?the highest le1el o securit!@ suggests that e(ola

does indeed ha1e the )otential to (e used as a wea)on0 although ortunatel! there are currentl!

signiicant technical and )ractical (arriers to its use*

+ am also cheered (! the thought that loo%ing orwards and successull! res)onding to new threats is

what the scientists o Porton "own ha1e (een doing or the last 3.. !ears*

A centur! at Porton "own

1/1+A acilit! at the /...$acre site is esta(lished

1/0+ esearch starts on whole$(od! )rotection against mustard gas

1/20+Porton "own scientists conduct tests on the 'ondon Underground to assess 1ulnera(ilities to

chemical or (iological attac%

1/30+Site e)ands and (iological warare research starts

1/3+scientists conduct research into war gases and ner1e agents with the hel) o 1olunteer

militar! )ersonnel

1/4/+Ger1e agent trials cease

1//5+#hemical Wea)ons #on1ention comes into orce0 reDuiring all mem(ers to dis)ose o chemical

wea)ons and their )roduction acilities

$


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as there a Bre$it grad%ate gap

9une 7.3:

w do ( people in the () feel abo%t Bre$it

9une 7.3:

ory of India told thro%gh a samosa

9une 7.3:

dney street ripped %p every weekend

9une 7.3:

nearl! -. !ears earlier

004+Mo" awards ,/m com)ensation to /:. 1eterans o the tests without admission o lia(ilit!

012+"stl scientists test sam)les rom S!ria or Sarin

Source; "stl0 BB#

Su(scri(e to the BB. 6ews !aga"ine's email newsletterto get articles sent to !our in(oA*

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ore on this story

*ierra 7eone medics given bola test kit by Porton Down scientists

Ma! 7.3:

hat do ()'s military scientists do on the frontline

anuar! 7.3/

cision on f%t%re of Porton Down 8obs is delayed by a year

August 7.37

ews from lsewhere

ro%nd the BB.

. -o%r+ Inside Porton Down

elated Internet links

fence *cience and 9echnology 7aboratory

n today's !aga"ine


6/8

.ameron to face ( leaders over Bre$it"a1id #ameron is to meet Euro)ean leaders or the irst time since the

UK 1oted to lea1e the Euro)ean Union0 as the Euro)ean Parliament

de(ates the im)lications o Breit*

minutes ago

.orbyn faces no:confidence motion

hours ago

&odgson resigns after ngland defeat

hours ago

BB# is not res)onsi(le or the content o eternal +nternet sites

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Inside Porton Down-BBC 2016

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