NGE - "The Fourth Child" - On Forbidden Technology

At the start of the seventeenth episode of Neon Genesis Evangelion, Misato is being questioned on whether Shinji was "contacted" by the Angel of the previous episode. Each Angel has been getting more intelligent, and SEELE is concerned that the Angels may be working together for the eradication of the human race. Things appear to quiet down, however, at least until a sudden cataclysmic explosion rocks the NERV Second Branch in Nevada. Everything within an eighty-nine kilometer radius is completely wiped out, as if it had never existed to begin with. EVA-03, which was being housed at a different facility, is moved to the Japanese NERV headquarters to undergo pairing with the fourth child.

So what the hell happened? Recall that the goal of NERV up until this point has been preventing any and all Angels from accessing terminal dogma, where the second Angel (Lilith) is being held. It is said that the fusion of Adam with Lilith will bring about Third Impact, or the end of the world. If the S2 engines are composed of Adam, and the EVA units are composed from Lilith, then what happened was really a low level repeat of the original Impacts.

At this point, we can conclude that the human race, particularly NERV, is attempting to utilize the weapons and processes that the Angels use, despite knowing very little of how those processes or weapons work. Of course, it need not be limited to processes of an opponent; even natural forces which we do not clearly understand can be applied under the label of forbidden tech.

Now, while a lot of technology out there has consequences in how and when it is used, a tech can be considered forbidden when those effects are found to be both indiscriminate and overarching. We wouldn't necessarily classify a nuclear weapon as forbidden tech, as its function is the controlled demolition of a particular area dictated by humans. A nuclear power plant, on the other hand, can be considered a forbidden tech when events like Chernobyl or the Fukushima Scare occur. It is a technique with which to accomplish a goal - any goal - quickly and at all costs, knowing full well that a dire gamble is simultaneously taking place.

Taking on an example which is more real-world and also more weaponized in nature, let's look at Agent Orange. Many of you likely know what it is and what it does, so let's talk about why it's considered a forbidden tech. There is no arguing that its ability to completely obliterate low-visibility groundcover across the Vietnam landscape was top notch. What makes it forbidden is that at the time of its application, nobody knew what the short-term or long-term consequences would be.

Anyone exposed - ally or enemy - would be brutally injured by side effects of exposure. The soils and natural vegetation were irrevocably damaged to the point that it will likely take centuries to recover. So while Agent Orange did what it was meant to do, and quickly for that matter, the consequences were grand, far-reaching, and will continue to affect us for a long time.

Evangelion is allegorically warning us about the future in which we play Russian Roulette with our society. Technologies are getting approved and implemented faster than ever, and while we too approach the security of the MAGI Generation, there are bound to be times where even our conservative estimates will be wrong. We could see more incidents not unlike what happened with Agent Orange, or even the Impacts of the EVA series, and that's the scary thing.

Now, don't get me wrong; this article is by no means a criticism of the emerging technology which could potentially improve society, save lives or end conflicts. This article is highlighting the truth that ninety-nine times out of one hundred, we know deep down that the things we push for are implemented in spite of the knowledge that somebody out there is going to be hurt or otherwise negatively impacted by them.

And if we willingly turn a blind eye for the things which we consider to be in our own best interest, what right do we have to deny those applications which aren't?