Science & Tech

The Pentagon Wants You To Tell Them What To Invest in for the Future

The military is on the hunt for the next big tech breakthrough. Here’s how to help. By Patrick Tucker

Policy

Last-Minute Pitches for NSA Reform Fail To Gain Consensus

After a recent Senate defeat, the tech industry, privacy groups and reform-minded lawmakers are clamoring to salvage portions of the USA Patriot Act. By Brendan Sasso and Dustin Volz

Science & Tech

This Robot Military Supply Helicopter Could Soon Be Fighting Wildfires

The K-Max has performed well in supplying troops in Afghanistan. Now it could help fight fires around the world. By Patrick Tucker

Science & Tech

The Environmentally Friendly Drone That Could 'Disappear' on the Battlefield

If this surveillance drone crashes, it's creators say it could decompose before an enemy could find it. By Shirley Li

Science & Tech

This US Navy Ship Is Now Armed With a Drone-Killing Laser Beam

No one knows if the weapons system will actually work in actual warfare, but the laser's deployment allows for rigorous testing. By Matt Phillips

Threats

Here’s What ISIS Recruits Ask Before Joining Up for Jihad

The website Ask.fm has become a popular forum for Islamic State militants to talk about what life is really like inside the extremist group. By Joanna Paraszczuk

Science & Tech

The Cyborg Medicine of Tomorrow Is Inside the Veteran of Today

Here’s why the future of human enhancement lies with the nation’s wounded veterans. By Patrick Tucker

Science & Tech

The Military Wants New Technologies To Fight Drones

These are the technologies we will use to counter drones in the future. By Patrick Tucker

Science & Tech

The FBI’s Quiet Plan To Expand Its Hacking Powers

Authorities are asking a little-known rule-making panel to increase the FBI’s search warrant powers to remotely hack into computers. By Dustin Volz

Science & Tech

The Next Big Thing To Fight Hackers? Self-Healing Computers

Homeland Security networks should be able to not only detect hackers and throttle their destructive tactics -- but also robotically bounce back. By Aliya Sternstein

Science & Tech

The Army Wants Lighter Tactical Radios That Won't Overheat on Soldiers

The service's contracting arm has set aside nearly $3 billion for a safer, less cumbersome and longer-range tactical radio. By Bob Brewin

Ideas

Building US-UK Military Relations With Science and Technology

Because the U.S. and Britain can’t afford to fight – or develop tomorrow’s technologies -- alone. By UK Air Chief Marshal Sir Stuart Peach

Science & Tech

The NSA's Mass-Surveillance Program Is About to Go on Trial

More than a year after Edward Snowden’s disclosures, an Appeals Court will weigh the government’s bulk collection of U.S. phone records. By Dustin Volz

Threats

The Ubiquity of Cyber Espionage

Here’s why nation-states are the hackers we should be most afraid of. By Robinson Meyer

Science & Tech

Making Robot Steering More Like Call of Duty Could Save Lives

To make little tanks more drivable, ditch the tank controls, research shows. By Patrick Tucker

Science & Tech

Rumors of the Blackberry's Death (at DOD) Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

There are less than 10,000 Apple and Android devices on the Pentagon's unclassified network. By Bob Brewin

Threats

Major Cyber Attack Will Cause Significant Loss of Life By 2025, Experts Predict

However, there may be nothing to fear but the threat of cyber apocalypse itself. By Patrick Tucker

Science & Tech

This Is the Ancestor of Today's Military Helicopters

A Russian engineer - with funding from the US military - designed and built the quadcopter that evolved into today's aerial weapons. By Sarah Laslow

Science & Tech

Will This Video Game Raise Awareness About the Syrian Civil War?

The video game "1000 Days of Syria" lets its players navigate the first two years of the Syrian uprising as a Syrian mother, a rebel fighter or an American journalist. By Zach Goldhammer

Science & Tech

Here’s What the Next Brain Implant Will Be Made Of

Ever heard of graphene? A recent DARPA-funded study suggests it could soon be in brain implants. By Patrick Tucker