Science & Tech
Air Force Wants to Test a Laser on an Attack Plane Within A Year
But the U.S. Special Operations Command still needs money for the test and policymakers need to figure out the rules of engagement.
Science & Tech
DARPA Tests Dirty-Bomb Hunting Ambulances
You may not have known it, but some D.C. ambulances were searching for radiation while they drove.
Science & Tech
The Man who led the Syrian Train-and-Equip Effort Wants A Cultural Translation App
The complex, delicate missions of today and tomorrow need a better way to bring fused intelligence to operators.
Science & Tech
Military-Grade Spy Gear Is Flooding into Local Police Departments
Major U.S. cities are spending millions of dollars on tools that track and extract data from people’s cellphones — but almost nothing on rules to guide their use.
Ideas
Four Ways to Automate Cyber Defense
Humans aren’t fast enough to respond to network attacks and breaches. Machines can help us, if we help them.
Science & Tech
IARPA Wants Autonomous Fingerprint Tech
The intelligence research arm is offering up cash for cutting-edge ideas on capturing complete scans.
Science & Tech
Hacking Into Future Nuclear Weapons: The US Military’s Next Worry
Warheads will be networked, and that presents unique challenges for the U.S. Air Force.
Science & Tech
How Did One Small Defense Firm Get a Seat at Trump's Tech Summit?
The meeting put data-viz firm Palantir next to some of the world’s largest data-gathering companies.
Science & Tech
The CIA’s Classified Cloud Is Reducing Tasks from Months to Minutes
Launched in April, the intelligence community's 10-year, $600 million Amazon-built infrastructure project is already producing results.
Science & Tech
The US Navy Hopes a Reporting App Can Reduce Sexual Assault
A six-month, $150,000 pilot project is testing an app initially created to prevent campus gun violence.
Science & Tech
Nanotech Breakthrough Could Revolutionize Night Vision
Researchers build “teeny, tiny structures” that can change infrared to visible light.
Science & Tech
The Flaw in Tech Giants’ Plan to Fight Extremist Content
Everyone gets to use different definitions of dangerous imagery, says the inventor of the software they’ll use.
Science & Tech
Cutting NASA Earth Observations Would Be a Costly Mistake
NASA’s Earth observation satellites provide constant real-time data on space, the atmosphere and the oceans—information critical to U.S. Navy and Department of Defense operations worldwide.
Ideas
The US Military Has a Pretty Good Plan to Keep Its Advantage. Trump Shouldn’t Mess With It
The Third Offset needs help, not replacement, to secure the long-term competitive advantage of the U.S. armed forces.
Science & Tech
Under Trump, Tech Companies Brace for Fight Over Encryption
Supporters of strong encryption are watching closely to see if Trump will force tech firms to cooperate with law enforcement, or if his campaign rhetoric will soften once he’s in the White House.
Business
How to Get the Market to Make Secure IoT Devices
New rules for government purchases might be the fastest way to make sure new internet-connected devices don’t join botnets.
Science & Tech
Decision Time: Half of US F-15s Need Overhauls — Or Retirement
In a backseat ride over New Hampshire, the Eagle shows why it’s still lethal, yet increasingly expensive.
Science & Tech
The Pentagon’s New Background Check System Won’t Be Ready for Nearly Two More Years
Though it could be completed as early as 18 months, the director of the new agency that manages the clearance process said Thursday.
Science & Tech
Pentagon Needs A Chief Innovation Officer, Say Eric Schmidt, Jeff Bezos, Neil deGrasse Tyson, and Friends
The move comes off a recommendation from a new innovation board chaired by Google, Amazon, and LinkedIn veterans.
Science & Tech