TL;DR
The science of getting more out of the human body, on less sleep and with sharper minds, now has a standing seat at the Pentagon. The Defense Department says it is creating a council of up to 20 outside experts to advise it on troop performance and health, with hormones, sleep, wearable devices and "cognitive performance" on the list of expertise it wants. The council names no drug, study or device yet, and it means the questions behind the super-soldier idea, such as whether people can safely function on far less sleep, now have a permanent place to be asked inside the world's largest military. Whatever holds up there tends to be about the same things ordinary people want: better sleep, faster recovery and a clearer head. For a breakdown of the odds and a timeline of the research that could bring those gains to everyday life, subscribe.
Below the line, for paid subscribers: The full story: where it stands, how we got here and what's dated next; our Odds board on 5 milestones, starting with "The Pentagon's new performance council holds its first meeting"; our labeled speculation on what it adds up to; and every source.