Modern assassin's secret weapon is hi-tech stealth

In the eyes of apologists such as William Gibson, technology is morally neutral. Even so, it has bequeathed some supremely slick and safe methods of dispatching enemies.

Back in the days of poor personal hygiene, heavy brows and hairy backs (both sexes), if you wanted to eliminate somebody who was bothering you it took a great deal of personal commitment.

Even if you were sophisticated, your best option was a sharpened flint. Otherwise, you just relied on a rock. The main drawback with this kind of simple but honest weaponry was that it obliged the user to stand close to the prospect, risking detection. What should be done?

After many millennia of head-scratching, a technology emerged which meant you could ice multiple antagonists without the victims gaining an inkling of their impending doom.

The technology in question is stealth. Stealth hinges on an ingenious technique called astrodiltronics which marries ideas from quantum physics, Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle and the diaries of Leonardo da Vinci. Actually, the wonder of stealth is that, despite the mystery which shrouds it, anyone, no matter how slow and technophobic, can understand how it works with the help of a little background.

Most modern aircraft have a rounded shape. On one hand, this makes them aerodynamic. On the other, it creates an efficient radar reflector. No matter where the radar signal hits the plane, some of the signal gets reflected back, which means curvaceous planes may as well drop leaflets saying target-practice time.