Science & Tech

Vetting Videos of War

Conflict videos from Syria are notoriously unreliable. Here's one company working to authenticate the real ones. By Steve Ercolani

Science & Tech

Facebook's Advice to the NSA

The broader problem, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg says, is the NSA's continued obfuscation of its programs, even after their revelation into the public mind and the public conversation. By Megan Garber

Science & Tech

Clean Energy Gets an Unlikely Ally: Military Veterans

A rising chorus of voices from the national security community are united by what is fast becoming a consensus view: investments in clean energy strengthens our national security and gives our service members an edge on the battlefield. By Chris Rey

Ideas

How Photographic Technology Shapes Our Understanding of War

From Polaroids to Instagram, the methods we used to document conflict have drastically changed. So has our understanding of what war really is. By Peter Osnos

Science & Tech

Can the U.S. and China Get Along in Outer Space?

China is improving and testing its anti-satellite capabilities. The Pentagon is, too. By Michael Krepon

Science & Tech

Meet the Encryption Aficionados Who Know How to Hide From the NSA's Watching Eye

Privacy advocates are using 'cryptoparties' to train computer users to better guard their data against surveillance. By Greg Thomas

Science & Tech

More Basic Research is Needed to Enhance America's National Security Capabilities

Money in this realm reaps dividends and can create the technology and tools needed to combat the threats of tomorrow. By Allan Sontesby and Joseph R. DeTrani

Science & Tech

How Social Media Helps Make the Case for War with Syria

The Obama administration is relying heavily on social media reports of chemical attacks to bolster its case for a military strike against Syria. By Michael Hirsh

Science & Tech

Why the U.S. Should Use Cyber Weapons Against Syria

The crisis in Syria is a good opportunity to show that U.S. cyber weapons can be used effectively (and ethically) on the battlefield. By Jason Healey

Science & Tech

Obama's Power To Set Cybersecurity Standards Is Limited

For the last three years, President Obama has been unable to get a cybersecurity bill through Congress. By Matthew Cooper

Ideas

Pentagon’s Syria Response Reveals Limits of Prized Cyber, Drone Arsenal

Here’s why the 'clarity' of a 20th century cruise missile strike likely will trump the 'sophistication' of the Pentagon’s 21st century drones and cyber-weapons. By Stephanie Gaskell

Science & Tech

Why a Precision Strike Won't Work in Syria

The Kosovo model for a precision strike against Syria ignores two important things - they're not always that precise and there's no guarantee that Assad will back down any time soon. By James Fallows

Policy

Drones Are Controversial But Legal

Just because drones are more technologically advanced than other weapons doesn't mean they violate international law. By James Jay Carafano

Business

Stop Shrouding the U.S. Drone Program in Secrecy

What if Obama was forced by Congress to share, after every lethal drone strike, a detailed summary of the evidence against the people killed? By Conor Friedersdorf

Science & Tech

The NSA May Have Access to 75 Percent of Domestic Internet Traffic

New revelations indicate that the agency's domestic surveillance capacity is much broader, and older, than what was previously reported. By Abby Ohlheiser.

Science & Tech

Pentagon Wants To Expand Program That Detects Foreign Nuclear Tests

A new solicitation indicates that the DoD is considering an upgrade to a system used to track nuclear activity abroad. By Aliya Sternstein

Science & Tech

Area 51 Has Been Hiding U-2 Spy Planes, Not UFOs

The existence of Area 51 isn’t the CIA’s most impressive revelation within the newly declassified document—it’s the U-2’s price tag. By Mark Micheli

Ideas

Why Is the Pentagon Dragging Its Feet on 3D Printing?

Troops in Afghanistan are testing 3D printers on the battlefield, but the military's acquisition process is getting in their way. By Kyle Chayka

Science & Tech

Exclusive: NSA Loophole Keeps Congress Clueless on Foreign Intel Violations

The leaked audit showing the NSA broke privacy rules nearly 3,000 times in one year is just the tip of the iceberg. The NSA is not telling Congress much more. By Marc Ambinder

Science & Tech

Killing Machines: How Far Can Obama's Drone Wars Go?

Behind every drone is a system that plans, operates and executes operations. This is one glimpse into that world. By Mark Bowden.