Ideas

Could Big Data Have Prevented the Fort Hood Shooting?

Researchers say an experimental software program might have been able to get Army Spec. Ivan Lopez help before he pulled the trigger. Here’s how. By Patrick Tucker

Ideas

Teaching Machines How to Spell Will Help Catch Terrorists

It’s time anti-terrorism technology move beyond finding ways to replace humans and start finding ways to work with us. By David Murgatroyd

Science & Tech

Meet the Company That Built 'Cuban Twitter'

This is what Internet diplomacy looks like. By Robinson Meyer

Science & Tech

The U.S. Tried to Use Social Media to Overthrow the Cuban Regime

USAID spent years creating a ‘Cuban Twitter’ to try to overthrow the island’s communist government. By Adam Pasick

Science & Tech

Inside the Military’s New Office for Cyborgs

DARPA’s Arati Prabhakar tells Defense One that cutting-edge biology research is the future of national security -- and how we’ll get our Star Trek tricorders. By Patrick Tucker

Science & Tech

How the NSA Can Use Metadata to Predict Your Personality

Despite assurances that metadata is free of content, new research shows that it can be highly personal. By Patrick Tucker

Threats

Newt Gingrich’s Plan to Save the World

Newt Gingrich is convinced that America’s fragile electrical grid could be wiped out at any moment. And he has a plan to stop it. By Alex Brown

Ideas

Afghanistan’s Rising Export Is Not Opium – It’s Telecoms

Roshan Telecom is Afghanistan’s newest growing export, giving hope that the war-torn nation can move beyond opium and rebuild its economy. By Leo Mirani

Science & Tech

Big Data, Synthetic Biology and Space Planes Are the Weapons of the Future

DARPA’s FY15 budget is full of more money for cutting-edge capabilities like big data, synthetic biology and space planes. By Patrick Tucker

Science & Tech

How the Military’s Bomb-Detecting Lasers Will Protect You From the Flu

High-powered, small and cheap UV lasers could detect biological containments of the lethal or simply annoying variety. By Patrick Tucker

Science & Tech

How the U.S. Outsmarted Everyone by Giving Up the Internet

By relinquishing control of some aspects of Internet governance, the U.S. may have outflanked China and Russia. By Patrick Tucker

Science & Tech

Weekend Cyberattacks Target NATO, U.S. Military Commands

Russian group hits several NATO websites on eve of Crimea vote, but U.S. military denies Syrian hacktivists breached CENTCOM, PACOM, others. By Patrick Tucker

Science & Tech

Can Crowdsourcing Help Find Malaysian Flight MH370?

Despite its shortcomings, crowdsourced mapping has been useful in disasters before. By Annalisa Merrelli

Science & Tech

The Internet Is the New Battleground, Assange Tells SXSW

Hackers, entrepreneurs and software developers gather in Austin to discuss how the NSA has helped and hurt the country. By Patrick Tucker

Science & Tech

The Army Wants You to Build Them a Laser Truck

The military is pushing ahead with directed energy weapons. by Patrick Tucker

Science & Tech

Boeing Is Making a Spy Phone That Self Destructs

Calling James Bond. Boeing is making a spy phone called 'Black" that will self destruct if someone tries to hack into it. By Nick Stockton

Science & Tech

This Is the App That’s Fueling the Uprising in Venezuela

The newest apps fueling Venezuela’s uprisings are made in North America and have piqued the Pentagon’s interest. By Patrick Tucker

Threats

You Can't Beat Climate Change With Weather Guns

Just because changing weather is a national security threat doesn’t mean you can defeat it with guns, say researchers. By Patrick Tucker