the geeks of war - the secretive labs and brilliant minds behind tomorrow’s warfare technologies

[...]... fought on the battlefield, but the technologies that enable twenty-first-century warfare are often funded by government, and developed inside research laboratories Within the walls of academic and government labs, highly skilled researchers (self-professed geeks, for the most part) are probing the edges of science to uncover technologies that promise to make warfare both more efficient and deadly The following... appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the U.S Senate Other senior officials include a deputy director, appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the U.S Senate, and eight assistant directors The NSF’s mission is to recommend and encourage the pursuit of national policies for the promotion of basic research and education in the sciences and engineering The agency also... across northern Europe in the weeks after D-Day In my father’s case, the word drove is particularly apt That’s because his job was to drive generals and other top military leaders to wherever they needed to go—often to dangerous places on the front lines of battle My father literally drove the officers (and himself ) through France, Belgium, Holland, and into Germany At the end of his journey, my father... security; and nuclear, chemical, and biological matters The USD (AT&L)’s responsibilities include the establishment and publication of policies and procedures governing the operations of the DoD Acquisition System and the administrative oversight of defense contractors Other responsibilities include the coordination of research and development programs DoD-wide to eliminate duplication of effort and ensure... Research, the U.S Army Soldier Systems Center, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the U.S Space and Missile Defense Command, and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory Gee whiz is a silly and corny expression, but I have to admit there is an awful lot of gee whiz in The Geeks of War After all, it’s hard to describe things like robots and death rays without having at least a little bit of a gee-whiz... eyes The helmet of the future will allow a soldier to monitor power reserves, show the range of an enemy, and provide an enormous amount of additional information, including the enemy’s capabilities (for example, data on the types and sizes of weapons at their disposal) While many of the technologies to make the Objective Force Warrior a reality are maturing today, several others, called breakthrough technologies, ... to Edwards_fm.qxd 3/23/05 4:18 PM Page 5 THE MILITARY–TECHNOLOGY MATRIX 5 strengthen research and education innovation in the sciences and engineering throughout the United States, including independent research by individuals A key part of the NSF’s role in the development of military technologies is the initiation and support, through grants and contracts, of scientific and engineering research and. .. under the USD (AT&L) are several deputies who are responsible for specific military technologies These include the Director of Defense Research and Engineering, the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Acquisition and Technology), the Deputy Under Secretary of Defense (Logistics and Material Readiness), the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Nuclear and Chemical and Biological Defense Programs), the. .. cabinet-level council is the principal means for the president to coordinate the science, space, and technology components of the federal research and development enterprise The president chairs the NSTC Other members are the vice president, assistant to the president for science and technology, cabinet secretaries and agency heads with significant science and technology responsibilities, and other White... Department of Defense (DoD) The DoD includes many departments that study and propose emerging technologies In fact, just about every part of the DoD is focused in one way or another on technology, since it is so crucial to the nation’s war- fighting abilities At the top of the DoD’s military technology command ladder is the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, or the USD . sought. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Edwards, John, 1954– The geeks of war : the secretive labs and brilliant minds behind tomorrow’s warfare technologies / John Edwards. p alt=""