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| Terror Networks |
| Terrorism: The Research Problem |
| 2003-09-13 |
Raphael Sagarin argues that we should learn from evolution to tackle the problem of terrorism:The planet’s diversity tells us that evolution works. But the number of failed life forms is sobering. Even once dominant organisms such as dinosaurs could not avoid extinction. The United States is the most dominant presence on Earth today, but terrorist networks such as al Qaeda represent a ruthless adversary. Terrorism poses an evolutionary challenge; it should be treated like one. Indeed. If ever there was a need for "out of the box" thinking, now is it. At the same time, valuable research initiatives such as terrorism futures and total information awareness are being nipped at the bud for no good reason other than not conforming to some catch-all ill-defined notion of political correctness. What’s made DARPA unique is its willingness to challenge convention. Conceived during the Cold War, the agency is tasked by the government to think big about technology. When brainpower gets turned loose, it doesn’t always follow a straight line: Sometimes the research winds up getting abandoned, other times it results in spectacular inventions.... |
| Posted by:Vivek |
| #3 The very technology over which we are communicating, the Internet, was conceived, funded, and pushed forward by DARPA. The World Wide Web is just one application out of many that run over it. I say let DARPA go for it: They and the American Research community saved our collective ass before, and they can do it again. |
| Posted by: Ptah 2003-9-13 9:15:52 PM |
| #2 Speaking of WOT Futures, can I ask why the Davis recall election is on the list here? What does that have to do with anything? |
| Posted by: mojo 2003-9-13 3:01:27 PM |
| #1 Absolutely correct! Terrorism futures may not have worked at all; but for them to be so soundly mocked and hammered BEFORE they could even be tried is an organization killer! What we are going through is truly a cultural war: should people have the opportunity to live within some rules and have an opportunity to influance what those rules are; or will we have to live by strict rules that are laid down by someone else with no chance of modification by the people? Call it Islamism vs Democracy or what ever, that is what all this boils down to. We fought just about the same war for 50 years against a different mind-set (Communism) and won; it is up to a new generation to show its stuff and do the same or go the way of the Dodo. |
| Posted by: SamIII 2003-9-13 1:05:07 PM |